We recently wrote about self-driving trucks in Nevada. Now it appears that self-driving cars are also causing some problems. In California, there are 48 licensed self-driving cars being tested on the roadways. According to the Huffington Post, 4 of those cars have been involved in accidents since the testing started in September: two while the car was “driving,” and two while the driver (as mandated by law) was in control.
The details of the accidents cannot be disclosed under California law, but one anonymous source said that all four crashes occurred at a speed under 10mph.
Google’s ultimate goal
Google and Delphi Automotive are the brains behind these cars. Their plan is to eventually build a car that operates fully independently of any driver in the hopes to improve safety. As HuffPo explains:
“A chief selling point for self-driving cars is safety. Their cameras, radar and laser sensors give them a far more detailed understanding of their surroundings than humans have. Their reaction times also should be faster. Cars could be programmed to adjust if they sense a crash coming — move a few feet, tighten the seat belts, honk the horn or flash the lights in hope of alerting a distracted driver.”
As of yet, that technology is not ready. Engineers are still tweaking and testing the system.
Car crash data for Tennessee
While the Volunteer State doesn’t have any self-driving cars – and hopefully won’t until such vehicles have been proven to be safe – we, like every other state, can always do more to improve driver and road safety. In May alone, 31 people have died in car crashes – 300 for the entire year. Twenty-two of them have been between the ages of 13 and 19; 109 weren’t wearing seatbelts. Driver distraction played a part in 6,633 accidents in Tennessee this year, and 1,540 crashes were alcohol-related.
What driver should do, instead of relying on Google, is drive slowly and un-impaired by alcohol, drugs or cell phones.
If you or your loved one was in a car crash in Knoxville, Banks and Jones wants to help. Please contact us to learn more about your options.
T. Scott knows the importance of interacting with colleagues to stay abreast of developments and changes in the legal world. T. Scott frequently teaches CLE courses on trial strategy, teaching other lawyers his methods for success in the courtroom, and is certified as a Rule 31 Mediator in the Tennessee Supreme Court. He is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the National Trial Lawyers, and both the Tennessee and American Associations for Justice.
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