Lawmakers Seek Study on the Safety of Self-Driving Vehicles

The technology for self-driving vehicles is rapidly developing and many hope that self-driving cars will make the roads safer by preventing the types of human errors that result in auto accidents.  There are approximately 35,000 people killed in auto accidents annually, and an estimated 94 percent of collisions occur due to human errors, so the hope is these cars will save many lives.

However, as technology advances, it will be more important than ever for in-vehicle devices to work properly. Unfortunately, there are likely to be bumps in the road and tech devices that fail. If new car buyers experience problems with in-vehicle technologies, California lemon law lawyers will be there to help them take action.

The potential for malfunctioning technology is just one potential safety issue that could arise with self-driving cars. To better address safety concerns, lawmakers are requesting a study be performed on self-driving vehicles, according to KOB 4. The lawmakers whose concerns are addressed in this particular story are state lawmakers, but research and strong oversight of self-driving vehicles will be necessary on the national level as well in order to ensure self-driving cars do not present an unacceptable risk to motorists.

Lawmakers Request Research Into Self-Driving Vehicles

The state lawmakers whose concerns were discussed by KOB 4 have proposed to create a committee in order to address how self-driving cars will impact local roads. The goal is to ensure that the state is ready when self-driving cars become more widespread.  The legislation being proposed does not authorize the public to begin operation of self-driving vehicles, but it instead facilitates the necessary research into the types of policies that will need to be in place to reduce risks of autonomous vehicles.

Preparing for the reality of self-driving cars is important because essentially every automobile manufacturer is either currently conducting research into self-driving cars or is moving in that direction.  The likely goal will eventually be full autonomy where the car essentially drives itself entirely with no driver and with no steering wheel and preparing for this is important to ensure that self-driving vehicles have the intended outcome of reducing traffic accident risks.

While this goal is a long time away, autonomous driving technology is already finding its way into cars already and is helping to save lives.  Lane centering technologies, speed control, and automatic braking, for example, are common features already and these types of assistive driving tools are only becoming more popular every year.

These state law makers are far from the only legislatures concerned about how self-driving cars will evolve and what the impact of these vehicles will be on the roads. It will be important to ensure that safety is paramount as technology develops.

Vehicle owners will also need to know their rights, especially as cars come equipped with ever-more complicated and expensive technology.  Car owners who experience problems with technology or other components of their new vehicles should consult with California lemon law lawyers for assistance in understanding their rights.