[blindlaw] A different view of Driverless cars

[Ross Doerr]

About two weeks ago on this list I posted some material about Google's
driverless car along with some legal and ethical questions that go "along
for the ride" as it were.
Lest  we think that Google is the sole company putting a car like this out
there in testing, read the following article about its competition at:
	
http://www.wbur.org/npr/212683617/hitting-the-road-without-a-driver?ft=3&f=2
12683617
Note two things in this article that I, as well as many others on the list
have verbalized.
The manufacturers of this car are also concerned about the car and its
automation being accepted by the general public as well as them waiting for
the legal profession and insurance industry to catch up with them.
This car has a "big red button"  in the middle of the dashboard which, when
activated, disconnects the automatics operating the car. This is not
surprising.
 My point is that the legal and insurance issues for driverless cars are now
being outlined and debated, and we are not a part of this debate. Debating
those issues on this list is one thing, but we are not the decision makers.
We need to be a part of the debate at the discussion level so that policy
can be shaped in such a way that we are not excluded at the outset.
That is a statement that is very easily said, and not so easily done.
Ross A. Doerr, Attorney at law
Augusta, Maine