But one thing continues to stop fully autonomous vehicles from entering the market, and it isn’t the progress of automakers—it’s the U.S. Senate.
The question of liability
The decision of who is liable in an accident usually ends up in the hands of the insurance companies covering the people involved. When they can’t come to an agreement, it goes to the courts.
But the issue of liability is more complicated for self-driving cars. If a fully autonomous vehicle crashes into another car or, even worse, into a pedestrian, who’s at fault, the driver or the manufacturer?
It might seem obvious that the automaker is at fault, but there are more factors involved than at first meets the eye. What if the owner of the vehicle had not taken sufficient care of the vehicle or properly installed necessary software updates?
The legislative roadblock for autonomous vehicles
How the Senate’s decision could impact your car insurance
As the law adapts to regulate new driving technology, the insurance industry will need to adjust as well. Once the Senate decides how to answer the question of liability for self-driving cars, insurance companies will need to create new policies that align with the federal legislation.