The Associated Press reported last month about a self-driving Uber vehicle that flipped over on its’ side after a vehicle cut in front it. The self-driving Uber was a test vehicle carrying two test passengers. Luckily no one was hurt in the accident. Uber released a statement following this traffic accident that they were temporarily suspending their self-driving program at their three test locations (Phoenix, San Francisco and Pittsburgh), while they investigate the accident.
The question that remain, and most be answered by auto-makers and ride-share companies, is whether these self-driving vehicles are safe. More specifically, would that vehicle have tipped over if there was a human behind the wheel.
t isn’t the first safety issue involving the self-driving vehicles or with Uber in particular. California suspended the self-driving Uber program at the end of last year due a recurrence of the vehicles running red lights. And last year a Tesla owner died in an car accident, when his vehicle misread a truck in front of it as an overhead traffic sign.
These are issues that make me and lawmakers dubious of self-driving vehicles. One issue that caught my interest from the AP article was that Arizona was only requiring Uber to carry to minimum insurance for its’ test self-driving vehicles, which is $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident. I don’t live in Arizona but I have friends and family who do, and I think it is unconscionable that the state would not require higher limits on self-driving Uber vehicles, when the dangers are so unknown. What if someone would have been seriously injured or had died in that recent accident.? The coverage from Uber’s insurance would not have been able to provide proper compensation to cover the medical bills, lost wages and serious pain and suffering or loss enjoyment of life.
Many issues remain, and I think it is fair to say the roads are not ready to take on self-driving vehicles.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.