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Who Gets Sued When Your Robot Car Crashes?
National Journal ^ | March 25, 2014 | Alex Brown

Posted on 03/25/2014 5:48:48 PM PDT by DannyTN

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Raises some interesting questions.

I'm a strong advocate of automated driving. I think it will be a boon to the economy in many ways. Mostly in the elimination of jobs and tasks that add no true value or wealth to the economy.

Imagine:


1 posted on 03/25/2014 5:48:48 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: DannyTN

Autonomous Vehicles driving on rural roads/highways during whiteout winter conditions will be problematic.


2 posted on 03/25/2014 5:52:23 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Paladin2

I know it is fiction, but if you have seen iRobot, these robots will make decisions based on mathematical computations to decide who lives and who dies in a crash.


3 posted on 03/25/2014 5:57:16 PM PDT by Cyclone59 (Where are we going, and what's with the handbasket?)
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To: DannyTN

Who gets sued? Dumb, dumb question. A low information voter wrote the article.

Same as it is now, the Deep Pockets.


4 posted on 03/25/2014 5:58:19 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (Over production, one of the top 5 worries for the American Farmer every year.)
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To: DannyTN
I don't know if they go into it, but the driver will always be potentially partly at fault. The manufacturer will want to know if the driver has been properly maintaining the car, if the owner performed any illegal modifications, if the owner programmed the car to try and drive somewhere it wasn't designed to drive, e.g. trying to ride a family sedan off road.

The one downside I see about automated cars is that at some point when the vast majority of cars are being automatically driven, the government may come in and make it illegal to drive manually. Those folks who still get a thrill out of driving their own cars might be shunted onto controlled tracks or poorly maintained side streets.

5 posted on 03/25/2014 5:58:26 PM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: DannyTN

I disagree with the premise that the robot is automatically a better driver than I am. For instance, I slow down below the limit when I see kids more that a block away. I pay much less attention if the people are adults. I also prepare for evasive action at certain intersections just by reputation.

I think the really crazy stuff is going to occur when most cars are automated. The human drivers may begin to expect rational behavior and encountering another human driver may surprise them.


6 posted on 03/25/2014 5:58:54 PM PDT by the_Watchman
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To: Cyclone59

Says the FReeper with a suspiciously Cylon like name.


7 posted on 03/25/2014 5:58:59 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: DannyTN
The same liability dilemma is associated with other "lifesaving" technology advances, like airbags, crush zones, etc.

Everybody looks for an easy and consistent answer to "who pays," but the fact of the matter is, it's up to the jury to decide if the manufacturer is at fault.

I can picture people entering driverless cars that are WAY out of repair, or that have been tinkered with, or gone out in weather conditions that aren't safe (hurricane, tornado).

At the same time, the expectation of a person (and the jury) who does follow the manufacturer's instructions will expect the car to perform safely.

Pedestrians have the same risk, more or less, that they have today, except they'll sue the vehicle manufacturer instead of the driver.

8 posted on 03/25/2014 6:02:25 PM PDT by Cboldt
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To: Paladin2
"Autonomous Vehicles driving on rural roads/highways during whiteout winter conditions will be problematic."

Why? Depending on the sensors, they may be far better at sensing the road and other vehicles than a human in those conditions.

And if not, they will probably be programmed to slow down, pull over and not drive in those conditions, where humans often will endanger themselves and others.

9 posted on 03/25/2014 6:04:55 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: DannyTN

Hopefully, remotely responsible for such a bad idea.


10 posted on 03/25/2014 6:07:03 PM PDT by freedomfiter2 (Brutal acts of commission and yawning acts of omission both strengthen the hand of the devil.)
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To: DannyTN

Knowing those roads based on peeps well removed from the locale is extremely problematic.


11 posted on 03/25/2014 6:07:03 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: freedomfiter2

Sorry, I missed the word “anyone”.


12 posted on 03/25/2014 6:08:33 PM PDT by freedomfiter2 (Brutal acts of commission and yawning acts of omission both strengthen the hand of the devil.)
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To: DannyTN

One of the key issues is to make sure that the winners compensate the losers.

Oh, so there won’t BE winners, just median producer/consumers?

Liberals. Feh.


13 posted on 03/25/2014 6:12:35 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: DannyTN

Well, first we have to find the car by using satellite pings.........


14 posted on 03/25/2014 6:22:16 PM PDT by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: DannyTN

I despise the entire idea.


15 posted on 03/25/2014 6:22:20 PM PDT by Nuc 1.1 (Nuc 1 Liberals aren't Patriots. Remember 1789!)
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To: the_Watchman
I got this list of top 25 auto crash causes from Law Offices of Michael Pines top 25 causes


1. Distracted Driving (including texting)
2. Speeding
3. Drunk Driving
4. Reckless Driving
5. Rain
6. Running Red Lights
7. Running Stop Signs
8. Teenage Drivers
9. Night Driving
10. Design Defects
11. Unsafe Lane Changes
12. Wrong-Way Driving
13. Improper Turns
14. Tailgating
15. Driving Under the Influence of Drugs
16. Ice
17. Snow
18. Road Rage
19. Potholes
20. Drowsy Driving
21. Tire Blowouts
22. Fog
23. Deadly Curves
24. Animal Crossings
25. Street Racing
Honorable Mention
High Winds
Loose Objects in Cars
Police Car Chases

Of these 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,11,12,13,14,15,18,20 are human error and pretty much get eliminated.

The weather related items would remain, as well as potholes and tire blow-outs. But an automated driver would probably handle them more consistently and more safely than a human. That's 5,9,16,17,19,21,22.

That leaves design defects (These would presumably increase, since you have both hardware and software design defects to consider now.

Deadly curves (which an automated car would probably handle better than a human).

And animal crossings, which no doubt will still cause accidents, but an automated driver would always be alert for animals, and would react in a more consistent way.

16 posted on 03/25/2014 6:22:25 PM PDT by DannyTN ( .)
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To: Paladin2

computer crashes...car crashes.

what a inspiring thought


17 posted on 03/25/2014 6:25:55 PM PDT by MeshugeMikey ( "Never, never, never give up". Winston Churchill)
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To: DannyTN

How do you get to your destination in a robotic car when you have no specific destination. Say for example when you’re out sightseeing, or looking through neighborhoods looking for a new house, or you want to go tootle around a new shopping center.


18 posted on 03/25/2014 6:26:56 PM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: MeshugeMikey

US 212 through Wyo. and Mont.


19 posted on 03/25/2014 6:27:25 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: SoCal Pubbie

Probably you’d switch to manual mode and drive yourself.

The alternative would be to give a destination even if it’s only a block away.


20 posted on 03/25/2014 6:30:26 PM PDT by DannyTN ( .)
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