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ARTICLE · 29 AUGUST 2017

German Regulators Craft Guidelines Addressing The Ethical Issues Raised By Driverless Cars

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As driverless cars prepare to enter the roadway, regulators are closely considering the implications of how software is programmed.

GermanyTransport
Lauren Loew
Lauren Loew
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As driverless cars prepare to enter the roadway, regulators are closely considering the implications of how software is programmed. When faced with an imminent risk of collision or injury, how will the software decide which course of action to take? How will the software weigh the impact on different people, animals, and property? Dashboard Insights has been raising these questions since 2014, and now, the parameters are beginning to take shape in other countries.

In June, the ethics commission of the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure released guidelines (German language guidelines) for self-driving vehicles (English language summary). At the time, German Federal Minister Dobrint touted the "pioneering" work as the "first guidelines in the world for automated driving" addressing these ethical issues.

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