Who Holds Liability for Self-Driving Cars?
Author: Portner & Shure
Science fiction dreams are just around the corner. Self-driving cars like
those developed by Google are becoming ever more popular. Car manufacturers
like BMW and Audi are also making an investment in self-drive features
such as park assist. California expanded laws recently as a step to accommodate
this evolving technology, allowing for driver-less cars to be driven on
the roads so long as there is a licensed driver behind the wheel to take
charge in case of an emergency. In this case, the driver behind the wheel
would be the one who is liable for any accidents. Nevada also joined this
trend in allowing for self-driving cars on their roads so long as they
have a special license plate, a licensed driver in the driver's seat,
and a passenger. Texas adapted by stipulating that a self-driving car
must have a licensed driver liable for any accidents, even if there is
no driver in the actual vehicle. It will be interesting to see if, in
the future, insurance coverage for these vehicles will be on the manufacturer
as opposed to the owner.