Aldrich Law Firm, Ltd.
Aldrich Law Firm, Ltd.

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877-508-0433Good People Deserve Good Lawyers. ®

Call us toll free at
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Good People Deserve Good Lawyers. ®

Humans and the safety of autonomous vehicles

Nevada drivers who are concerned about road safety may be interested to know that human influence could have a negative impact on autonomous vehicle technology. According to a computer professor from Arizona State University, the vehicles are unsafe because they are programmed to copy humans.

The professor is conducting a study that’s funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Science Foundation. The focus of the research is cyber-physical systems designs that can ensure how the systems will behave in a certain situation.

Humans are essentially programming the vehicles how to drive. Because humans make mistakes, the vehicles are also learning dangerous driving behaviors.

The college professor contends that in order to increase safety, autonomous vehicles should only be allowed to travel at a speed that allows them to stop within their range of vision. The rate of speed at which the vehicles travel should be slow enough that they are able to immediately come to a stop if an obstruction suddenly appears.

The professor also asserts that driving expectations for autonomous vehicles and human drivers are drastically different. Accidents caused by humans are deemed unfortunate, yet they’re also expected. However, autonomous vehicles are expected to make no mistakes, and any accidents they cause can potentially cripple the autonomous car industry.

Safety will always be a concern with autonomous vehicles as long as the basis for automated driving technology is human behavior. Analysts say that safety should be prioritized over creating a driving experience that is human-like.

A personal injury attorney may explain which legal avenues should be pursued for clients who have sustained injuries in car accidents caused by autonomous vehicles. The manufacturer of the vehicle may be held financially liable for T-bone accidents and rear-end collisions that result in broken bones or death.

John P. Aldrich
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