Liability risk in the era of autonomous vehicles is becoming
even more complex, after a test vehicle in Arizona earlier this
year struck a pedestrian, who later died of her injuries.
The accident led Uber Technologies Inc. to halt
its self-driving car operations in various US cities and prompted
other autonomous vehicle developers to scrutinize their own
testing, but it is unlikely to keep the technology from
proliferating. Even though autonomous vehicle technology is at an
early stage, it is expected to reduce human error, which causes
most accidents involving conventional vehicles.
Particularly at this stage of autonomous vehicles'
development, accidents involving them are to be expected —
and probably will never be eliminated. The accident in Arizona was
the first fatal crash in the United States involving a truly
self-driving car. No technological innovation is perfect, and the
laws of physics cannot be rewritten.
