In the advent of a world in which cars drive themselves, consumers from European cities to the rolling hills of Provo, Utah have wondered—Who is liable in the event of an auto accident involving a self-driving car? For Volvo enthusiasts, the answer is clear.
In a statement from Håkan Samuelsson last week in Washington, the Volvo President and chief executive officer made clear that the Swedish automaker will accept full responsibility for any auto accident caused by its future driverless cars.
While some self-driving car supporters maintain that autonomous cars will never make mistakes, Samuelsson takes the conservative approach in assuming driverless cars “will never be perfect,” and will need the legal protection afforded by a good company lawyer.
The Volvo president also called on United States lawmakers to revamp its complicated legal requirements for driverless cars, something even the savviest lawyer in the country would find difficult to comprehend.
Currently, only four U.S. states—California, Michigan, Florida and Nevada—allow autonomous testing, so don’t expect to see a Google or Tesla car on the streets of Provo just yet.
Until the U.S. can decide on a comprehensive national framework for the testing and regulation of autonomous vehicles, self-driving cars will remain a thing of the future.
* Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons