If you are a resident of California, you may well have seen a self-driving vehicle somewhere on the road in the last couple of years. Certainly the state is one of the key places from where the development of these vehicles is being led. However, you may have your concerns about how safe these cars really are and what issues might be experienced by the companies working to develop and further the technology used in them.
Auto Finance News recently reported on some results of a Autonomous Vehicle Summit Survey from Automotive IQ. It seems that safety, costs, security and regulation generally speaking top the list of issues facing autonomous car manufacturers today. Regarding safety some issues surround the risk of piracy or technology hacks as well as technology accuracy. The cost of many technologies in these vehicles may pose a problem to companies as they are aware that consumers will be price conscious when evaluating auto purchases.
When it comes to regulation there is limited guidance at this time which may make it hard for companies to know how to design vehicles if each state ultimately develops its own rules in the absence of federal oversight. Companies are also aware that consumers remain wary of autonomous vehicles from both a safety and a cost perspective.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give residents in Califoria some insights into the issues facing the emerging autonomous vehicle market today and how these might impact their ultimate safety.
