NHTSA ruling hailed as step towards self-driving vehicles

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Car Accidents, on Friday, February 12, 2016

Analysts say that motorists in Massachusetts and other states could soon see the first instances of autonomous vehicles in action. In early February, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, decided that the Google-developed artificial intelligence systems that operate the company’s self-driving vehicles could be treated like drivers. This follows a January announcement by the NHTSA that it would attempt to make roads more accessible to driver-free cars by potentially shelving some existing safety regulations. News sources say that the move to regard artificial intelligence as an acceptable human substitute could make it easier for companies to design vehicles whose systems cooperate directly with their computer drivers. The NHTSA also detailed numerous regulatory hurdles that are likely to prevent self-driving vehicles from hitting the roads in the near future. Google responded by noting the danger of setups that might let drivers intercede in their vehicles’ safety or control behaviors. The NHTSA also suggested that Google and other automakers think about applying for exemptions for some existing rules. One analyst said that there are still a number of unresolved legal issues that impact self-driving cars but admitted that this was a big step forward. He also noted that Google would need to somehow confirm that its systems satisfy guidelines designed for traditional human drivers. As technology changes the way people use automobiles to get around, laws are also likely to change. In addition to modifying the regulatory landscape, legislators are bound to reconsider issues like how fault is determined in collisions and who should be held liable for crashes that weren’t caused by a vehicle’s occupants. Auto accident survivors may find it helpful to learn more about these matters so that they can pursue compensation more effectively.