General Discussion

Lee-Lee

(6,324 posts)

57. Lawsuits from the first autonomous car wrecks will be a mess

Mon Sep 7, 2015, 03:37 PM

Sep 2015

Can you imagine the discovery process going deep into the code used to control the car, the liability issues between manufacturers, code writers, testers, etc. The legal mess of the expert testimony.

All that stuff has been pretty well fleshed out with today's cars and now virtually no accident lawsuits involve the car makers unless they can alledge bad design was a contributing factor.

But with self driving cars the car maker will be a defendant every single time because they wrote the code that controlled it- in fact even the car owner could have standing to sue the maker in every single accident case if the car was self-driving.

I think it will take a major change in U.S. law giving the automakers immunity from such lawsuits before we see them out in consumer use.

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Self-driving cars can be fooled by fake signals [View all] onehandle Sep 2015 OP

Millions of miles. Zero at fault accidents. Apple fanbois fool no-one. whatthehey Sep 2015 #1

Accidents will happen and just imagine the liability lawsuits. TexasMommaWithAHat Sep 2015 #10

If you are the one who owns the car and puts it on the road dragonlady Sep 2015 #25

But the point is that they will sue the deep pockets TexasMommaWithAHat Sep 2015 #27

And will be factored into the cost of the cars. n/t PoliticAverse Sep 2015 #29

Cars have defects now. Airbag/Brake issues. Large lawsuits. But car companies manage to survive! nt Logical Sep 2015 #31

Lawsuits from the first autonomous car wrecks will be a mess Lee-Lee Sep 2015 #57

+1 Egnever Sep 2015 #72

A jerk with a laser pointer would find similar flaws in Humans Exultant Democracy Sep 2015 #2

And I wouldn't call someone like that a 'prankster', someone pointing a laser at an aircraft PoliticAverse Sep 2015 #4

It's amazing it hasn't happened yet KamaAina Sep 2015 #95

They're not just 'pr' , not 'magic', and all major manufacturers are working on them. PoliticAverse Sep 2015 #3

autonomy is happening. New cars in the high and mid range already include a lot of Warren Stupidity Sep 2015 #5

They're not 'autonomous.' That's a myth. onehandle Sep 2015 #6

Yes people will insist that they are in charge Warren Stupidity Sep 2015 #17

By 2025 they will be on the streets. Wow, you seem short sighted. nt Logical Sep 2015 #36

True or not, Freepers use this technology to argue against passenger rail. HappyPlace Sep 2015 #68

+1,000,000 Ron Green Sep 2015 #90

In all the discussion Americans STILL can't get over their asinine obsession with driving cars KittyWampus Sep 2015 #7

I'm with you. Put all of this cash and research into public transportation. nt onehandle Sep 2015 #8

The only think that's holding back public transportation in the US is the inability PoliticAverse Sep 2015 #9

And urban sprawl. And the heat. And the sheer size of our country. TexasMommaWithAHat Sep 2015 #14

Yep. Sprawl is a huge problem. Lizzie Poppet Sep 2015 #20

I would imagine that autonomous cars would fill in for taxis and similar services... Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #19

And for people owning cars. KamaAina Sep 2015 #96

No more maintenance cost or license fees. Sounds good to me. N/t Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #97

I don't want to take a bus to work. But an automated taxi can take me. It is going to happen. nt Logical Sep 2015 #34

The main problem with public transportation MindPilot Sep 2015 #15

We're going to have a problem then. Chan790 Sep 2015 #74

As people age, self driving cars are going to be a wonderful mode of transportation yeoman6987 Sep 2015 #78

LIDAR? rockodman Sep 2015 #11

Ahh, but the i-car will be perfect, right? (Just be careful of the maps app + gps). n/t X_Digger Sep 2015 #12

Yes, but only a Genius� will be able to open the hood n/t IDemo Sep 2015 #16

Not perfect, just better than humans, its not hard, they don't get tired... Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #21

if it breaks down treestar Sep 2015 #69

Option + Control + Start button while turning the key? ;) n/t X_Digger Sep 2015 #70

The development of hover technology is seriouly lagging; 10/21/2015 is just around the corner! MindPilot Sep 2015 #13

They're already using autonomous haulers in the mining industry... PoliticAverse Sep 2015 #24

Right. My employer makes parts for those trucks. n/t MindPilot Sep 2015 #38

why can't we have mass public transportation on rails on ground or up high? Sunlei Sep 2015 #18

I quite like the light rail system here. Lizzie Poppet Sep 2015 #22

Too much new infrastructure would more or less destroy the practicality of that. Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #23

Where I live most of the roads are unpaved. longship Sep 2015 #26

Really? Never? So you don't think they will ever figure out unpaved roads? Sounds like the people... Logical Sep 2015 #30

Well, a snow covered unpaved road is pretty much the metric. longship Sep 2015 #37

Using GPS they could probably navigate them better than humans. drm604 Sep 2015 #43

Sorry! GPS is cool, but not magic. longship Sep 2015 #47

Sorry! But I never claimed it was magic. drm604 Sep 2015 #56

Satellite reception is dodgy during snow squalls. longship Sep 2015 #58

LOL, bookmarked. Cracks me up how people thought flying would never happen. nt Logical Sep 2015 #46

Yup. Agschmid Sep 2015 #51

I discovered this recently reading an anthology of E.A. Poe. Chan790 Sep 2015 #77

Yes you live where the conditions are hardest for the autonomous cars. Snow covered roads PoliticAverse Sep 2015 #32

Self-driving cars would likely be better than human drivers in adverse conditions. MindPilot Sep 2015 #42

Grass Lake Road west of Hawkins, MI! longship Sep 2015 #45

New tecchnologies alway have their naysayers. MindPilot Sep 2015 #53

Well, let's see an autonomous car drive all of I-80 in the winter. longship Sep 2015 #55

So this particular technology doesn't yet solve your particular problem, MindPilot Sep 2015 #59

Now that is a huge straw man. longship Sep 2015 #60

The issue is you are claiming its NEVER going to happen, planes were only able to fly... Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #62

Again, a straw man argument. longship Sep 2015 #65

Your misuse of the term strawman is annoying, its not a strawman to point out that... Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #75

My position on autonomous vehicles is pretty clear. longship Sep 2015 #80

What infrastructure changes or improvements would be required? Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #92

"Who would buy a vehicle that is only useful during warm weather?" PoliticAverse Sep 2015 #76

Sorry but the impassible road in impossible conditions is your straw man, not mine. MindPilot Sep 2015 #63

How well do humans do in the "worst conditions"? metalbot Sep 2015 #85

Well yes! longship Sep 2015 #87

It'll be doable within 5 years for an autonomous car. Chan790 Sep 2015 #79

Shit! We don't even have broadband Internet here yet! longship Sep 2015 #82

I think if they don't place RFID... Chan790 Sep 2015 #84

It's 2015 but passenger jets can be defeated by a couple of geese... PoliticAverse Sep 2015 #89

Well played, my friend. longship Sep 2015 #91

Already done 10 years ago Egnever Sep 2015 #61

Longship, you complained when I posted "The Revolution Will Not Be Formalized" bananas Sep 2015 #93

Interesting. Thx. longship Sep 2015 #94

"They work, but it'll be generations before they are widely trusted and used." Bullshit...... Logical Sep 2015 #28

Then again I was promised a flying car by now. n/t PoliticAverse Sep 2015 #33

Well, no one really worked on one as hard as like google is the car. And the cost..... Logical Sep 2015 #35

To say nothing of the reality... Chan790 Sep 2015 #81

Good points. nt Logical Sep 2015 #83

I challenge Google to attempt to navigate I-80 in the winter. longship Sep 2015 #41

People used to control elevators also. Technology happens. nt Logical Sep 2015 #44

Elevators. Probably the safest mode of transportation ever. longship Sep 2015 #48

Its radar, not GPS and history is full of sentences exactly like that one. Cracks me up. nt Logical Sep 2015 #49

Again, winter is the problem. longship Sep 2015 #54

You do not understand advancement in technology. But that is OK, it will happen without you. You.... Logical Sep 2015 #64

You really like those straw men. longship Sep 2015 #66

Wow, bookmarked. nt Logical Sep 2015 #67

I will try one more time to reason with you. longship Sep 2015 #71

And general AI has been 10 years away for the past 50 years Chathamization Sep 2015 #88

The problems will be less technical than legal/regulatory. nt lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #73

I'm sure these cars will have to come with a manual override. sakabatou Sep 2015 #39

Actually... Chan790 Sep 2015 #98

In related news fake signals can confuse human drivers too. Statistical Sep 2015 #40

+1000 nt Logical Sep 2015 #50

Problems, problems, problems. Are there any solutions? nt ladjf Sep 2015 #52

I think Google is doing great research goldent Sep 2015 #86

Am I the only one here with zero interest in self-driving cars? Throd Sep 2015 #99

It's seems pretty clear lots of people like to drive however, PoliticAverse Sep 2015 #100