[blindlaw] A different view of Driverless cars

[Bill Reif]

Hello Dan,

I know liability will remain with the vehicle manufacturer, just as is 
the case now where defects in conventional vehicles are alleged to have 
contributed to accidents, and didn't intend to assert otherwise. So long 
as whoever is in the front seat of an autonomous vehicle has some power 
to intervene, lawyers will allege that their failure to do so creates 
liability with the operator as well unless that person had no power to 
influence the car. In the case of the blind, it will be argued that the 
person should never have put him/herself in that situation. That might 
be a valid argument if the vehicle includes no technology that would 
have provided situational awareness information.

Cordially,
Bill

On 8/23/2013 11:47 AM, Daniel McBride wrote:
> Bill:
>
> Unless specific legislation was passed to exempt manufacturers of a
> driverless vehicle from liability in personal injury/wrongful death cases,
> products liability issues are going to be a concern of the potential
> manufacturers.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bill Reif
> Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2013 9:54 AM
> To: Blind Law Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] A different view of Driverless cars
>
> This debate validates the time and money the NFB has put into the
> blind-drivable vehicle. Even if that vehicle is displaced by the driverless
> car and never gains significant distribution, its successful operation
> demonstrates that we can monitor and, if necessary, intervene in its
> operation. Without that demonstration, we would find it harder to challenge
> the belief that we are as powerless as inanimate cargo. As driverless cars
> continue to evolve, we should work with developers to interface some of the
> blind-drivable technology in those a blind person may operate. Until that
> happens or until the driverless car is perfected, I would no more want to
> ride in one than a sighted person would sit in a car with no controls.
>
> In terms of legal issues: I can't imagine that a car's being "driverless"
> shifts liability away from whoever's behind the wheel.
>
> Cordially,
> Bill
>
> On 8/19/2013 6:29 PM, Ross Doerr wrote:
>> 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
>>
>>    
>>
>>
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