Recap: Who’s responsible if a self-driving car has an accident?
Trust and accountability
In a recent study published inHumanities and Social Science Communications, the authors tacklethe issue of over-trusting drivers and the resulting system misuse from a legal viewpoint. They look at what the manufacturers of self-driving cars should legally do to ensure that drivers understand how to use the vehicles appropriately.
One solution suggested in the study involves requiring buyers to sign end-user license agreements (EULAs), similar to the terms and conditions that require agreement when using new computer or software products. To obtain consent, manufacturers might employ the omnipresent touchscreen, which comes installed in most new vehicles.
The issue is that this is far from being ideal, or even safe. And the interface may not provide enough information to the driver, leading to confusion about the nature of the requests for agreement and their implications.
The problem is, most end users don’t read EULAs: a 2017 Deloitte studyshows that 91% of people agree to them without reading. The percentage is even higher in young people, with 97% agreeing without reviewing the terms.
Unlike using a smartphone app, operating a car has intrinsic and sizeable safety risks, whether the driver is human or software. Human drivers need to consent to take responsibility for the outcomes of the software and hardware.
“Warning fatigue” anddistracted drivingalso cause for concern. For example, a driver, annoyed after receiving continuous warnings, could decide to just ignore the message. Or, if the message is presented while the vehicle is in motion, it could represent a distraction.
Given these limitations and concerns, even if this mode of obtaining consent is to move forward, it likely won’t fully shield automakers from their legal liability should the system malfunction or an accident occur.
Driver training for self-driving vehicles can help ensure thatdrivers fully understand system capabilities and limitations. This needs to occur beyond the vehicle purchase — recent evidence shows that even relying onthe information provided by the dealership is not going to answer any questions.
All of this considered, the road forward for self-driving cars is not going to be a smooth ride after all.
This article byFrancesco Biondi, Assistant Professor, Human Kinetics,University of Windsoris republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.
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Story byThe Conversation
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