Car accidents frequently involve a driver who is at fault. However, if automakers are serious when they claim that machines will rule and take over, then it makes sense that a technological failure would be required for a car accident to occur. When a product is utilized as intended, but injuries occur, product liability laws hold the product creators accountable for the harm caused. In the near future, these rules may stipulate that crashes result from autopilot system flaws, in which case the manufacturer would be liable.
One of the essential questions will be whether the car manufacturer violated its duties to other drivers when a collision occurred or if the driver alone was at fault. As technology develops, judicial decisions and statutory legislation start to establish a system for handling crashes brought on by driverless automobiles, and the answer to this question may vary.
Many of these autonomous automobiles do not yet assert that they can completely replace the act of driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigated a fatal accident involving a Tesla vehicle in Autopilot mode, and the LA Times reported on the findings. The article made it clear that Tesla’s on-screen instructions and autopilot system both clearly place the onus of preventing accidents on the driver.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) looked into the deadly Tesla accident and several less significant incidents, and they have concluded that there is no need for a recall of these vehicles. According to the NHTSA, at present, in a self-driving car, the driver is still in charge and must exercise caution to prevent accidents.