Camden Car Accident Lawyers: Road Rage and Self-Driving Cars

By the end of 2017, every Tesla vehicle on the road may be autonomous. Google claims that its prototype self-driving cars are drastically safer than human driven ones, since 94 percent of car accidents in the United States are caused by human error. Google’s self-driving cars alone have already driven over two million miles and are currently on the streets in select areas of California, Texas, Washington, and Arizona. This is the future of driving, and it is starting to happen.

But are these cars really safer? Goodyear and the London School of Economics conducted a joint study that suggests that some drivers may be spurred on to “bully” autonomous vehicles. The study surveyed 12,000 participants in 11 different countries. The results were surprising—and concerning. Some aggressive participants indicated that self-driving cars would make an easy target. It is easy to see how reckless drivers might take advantage of these vehicles. For example, one study participant suggested that when they see a self-driving car, they would expect it to follow the rules of the road. In other words, drivers will know that self-driving cars will not react with road rage—making them easy targets for aggressive driving maneuvers.

Despite these results, 43 percent of participants in the survey agreed that autonomous cars will be safer. Around 37 percent felt that they will be safer precisely because they will not be able to react with rage when faced with aggressive drivers.

Self-Driving Cars Can Still Cause Car Accidents

However, as long as there are human drivers on the road, self-driving cars are still going to be at risk of car accidents. Self-driving cars may not be able to detect being cut off, because at this stage in development, they assume that the cars on the road around them are acting rationally and safely. That is not to say that they cannot detect an imminent collision—but they cannot see irrational drivers and react like a human driver would. Google’s autonomous prototype knows how to give aggressive drivers the right of way, but they still cannot anticipate someone with road rage approaching. So far, this flaw has been the result of one minor motor vehicle accident involving a bus.

Camden Car Accident Lawyers at DiTomaso Law Fight Hard for Victims of Car Accidents

Car accidents caused by road rage and aggressive drivers are tragic because they are avoidable. Camden car accident lawyers at DiTomaso Law fight to hold aggressive drivers accountable and recover maximum compensation for victims of car accidents. To arrange a free consultation with one of our experienced lawyers, call us at 856-414-0010 or contact us online today.