Google's Autonomous Cars Face Legal, Practical Challenges
Google’s nutty pseudo-utopian autonomous car project faced a reality check at a legal symposium sponsored by the Law Review and High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University. Among the challenges raised were the prospect of insuring such a car, and whether the car would be able to stop for law enforcement or construction workers.
More by Derek Kreindler
Comments
Join the conversation
human controlled cars and planes are weapons, weapons are always regulated in our society.. luckily its becoming possible now.
A modern Airbus or Boeing is fully capable of takeoff, landing and even taxi to the gate without human intervention. No one operates that way. The joke is that future airliners will have one pilot and a dog up front. The pilot's job is to feed the dog and the dog's job is to bite the pilot if he touches anything. We, as a society, still need someone to blame, and not just the engineers that programmed it, if people die. The tort side of law is simple, the owner, by its insurer, pays. The legal problem is on the criminal side if something really bad happens. I want an autonomous car before I reach the age where I can no longer drive.
Lawyers should get over themselves. "Oh, making the car autonomous is the easy part."
I do not know when they will perfect the technology, laws or insurance issues... but I do know that it will be worth the wait. I just lost my 17 year old nephew to a car crash this weekend and after hearing that car crashes are the number one cause of death in the United States... all I know is that something needs to be done. I heard that over 90% of car accidents are 'Operator Error' as was the case in my nephews death... so if there is eventually a way to automate cars, I am all for it. btw... don't planes have 'Auto Pilot'???