People using fully self-driving cars will not be responsible for any crashes under new proposed updates to The Highway Code, the government announced on April 20.
Insurance
In a new amendment to The Highway Code, a new section for automated vehicles stated that “while an automated vehicle is driving itself, you are not responsible for how it drives, and you do not need to pay attention to the road. But you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions about when it is appropriate to engage the self-driving function.”But to date, fully self-driving cars are a future technology. In the UK, there is no vehicle currently available for sale that is fully automated or “self-driving.” But there are some that have autopilot systems as well as advanced driver-assistance features.
The U.S. Department of Transportation rates a vehicle’s ability to self-drive from Level 0 (none) to Level 5 (fully autonomous). For example, Tesla Autopilot and Cadillac (General Motors) Super Cruise systems both qualify as Level 2. Level 5, which means a futuristic scenario where the vehicle does not need a driver to go anywhere ie. full automation does not exist yet.
Though when it does, self-driving cars could theoretically spell the end of motorists. That is according to Tesla boss Elon Musk.
Too dangerous
Musk suggested driving cars could be outlawed. “It’s too dangerous. You can’t have a person driving a two-ton death machine,” he said.“As the technology continues to develop and as more information is generated, a clearer timeframe on the rollout of truly autonomous vehicles will be seen. The process is still in its relative infancy, but insurers will be pleased to see a pathway for autonomous vehicles slowly come to the fore,” wrote GlobalData.
Last year, the UK government became the first country to announce it would regulate the use of self-driving vehicles at slow speeds on motorways, with the DfT announcing that it would allow hands-free driving in vehicles with lane-keeping technology—a feature found on new cars today—on congested motorways.
Even though fully automated vehicles are years down the road, they will profoundly change the nature of car insurance, particularly in the way insurers assess risk and set premiums.
A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) told The Epoch Times that an estimated 90 percent of road accidents are caused by human error that “if the tech can be developed in the right way, it can make roads safer for everyone.”
“If an automated vehicle in self-driving mode is involved in an incident, any innocent third-party victims, which include the driver or user-in-charge, have a right to claim against the motor insurer of the self-driving vehicle. The user-in-charge will still be liable in certain cases if they are found to be negligent in the use or upkeep of the system,” he said.
He added that the insurer will have the right to pursue a claim against any liable party in an event of a fault.
Massive changes
“The insurance industry stands ready to work with the Government and vehicle manufacturers to put in place an appropriate framework for the sharing of data as this will be crucial in determining liability and understanding the cause of an incident,” he said.“It seems likely the law will adapt as the technology improves and as we learn more about the ability of users to disengage from different types of activities,” West said. “It is a hot topic for, amongst others, insurers and the legal profession.”
