Self-Driving Cars Not Quite Ready for the Road

While it’s inevitable that eventually self-driving cars will be a normal sight on all U.S. roads and not just test market tracks such as in California and Michigan, it looks like the takeover of self-driving vehicles may be further into the future than many thought.  As reported by David Z. Morris in a Fortune Magazine article just last month, due to problems with programming, Uber’s self-driving cars were running red lights and having difficulty navigating bike lanes.

There is no question the effect self-driving vehicles will have on car accidents and accident injury claims, as well as how they will eventually change the entire landscape for insurance companies and personal injury litigation.   Danielle Muoio pointed out in her recent article posted on Business Insider how Tesla has already been selling car insurance with its vehicles in Asia providing a glimpse as to how automated vehicles will result in lower insurance premiums and shift more liability for injury claims onto manufacturers.  However, in addition to the kinks that still need to be worked out with software and manufacturing, there is also the human aspect of things and whether the average person is willing to give up physical control of their vehicle.  Driverless vehicles are here, but it remains to be seen how long it will take for them to take over the roads.