Technology is quickly expanding to consume every aspect of daily life. This includes vehicles. Self-driving cars have made a lot of news as they have been rolled out and put into use. Several accidents have made big headlines, which may make you think these cars have no place on Washington roadways. However, is it really true that they are unsafe?
The Verge explains that while accidents with self-driving cars do happen, they are not happening at the high rate crashes occur with live drivers. In fact, when accidents do happen, they often mirror what would have happened if a human driver were behind the wheel.
The way self-driving cars work is they learn patterns and behaviors as they are on the road. They learn to anticipate what another driver will do. They also learn the rules of the road. So, if another driver acts out of the norm or does not obey road rules, then there is always a chance for an accident because the self-driving vehicle could not predict the other vehicle would act in this way. This is pretty much what happens when any accident occurs.
The fact that a self-driving vehicle may make a mistake in judgment does not make it any more dangerous than any other vehicle on the road. Additionally, these cars are probably safer in many aspects. For example, they will never drive distracted, which greatly helps increase the safety of the vehicle. This information is for education and is not legal advice.
