You may have already seen the autonomous vehicles used by Google, or seen the test that has been used to help these vehicles make ethical choices in the event of a collision. The concept seemed outlandish and futuristic when we first saw them in Science Fiction movies, but now companies are actually considering the introduction of autonomous vehicles onto city roads.
These cars have the ability to navigate highways, heavily trafficked city streets, and rural areas, all without the input of a human being. Some may see this as the first glimpse of the future, while others may be terrified by the concept. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, there are some undeniable liability issues that come with these vehicles and the possibility of one becoming involved in a motor vehicle collision.
Ontario has agreed to be the first province to test autonomous cars.
Back in 2015, Ontario gave approval to the launch of a pilot program in which autonomous vehicles would be introduced to the real-life traffic of Ontario’s roads in later years. While these vehicles are not operated by a person, there still must be a licensed driver within the vehicle whenever it is in use. This is a mere precaution, but Injury Lawyer in Milton know that in the event of an accident, it is necessary that an actual person be present who can step in and take the necessary steps the driver otherwise would.
It should be noted that not all automated vehicles share the same level of technology. Some automated cars still require the presence and manual input of a driver, while others are fully self-operating. Because of this, a scale has been created by which the automation of a vehicle can be measured. This classification scale looks like this:
• Level 0 describes automated vehicles which only have built on cruise control and nothing more. Even the cruise control must be activated by the driver.
• Level 1 applies to the vehicles with adaptive cruise control and other features that still require the assistance of the driver. The purpose of these autonomous features is to help the driver uphold safety distances and remain within the guidelines of their lane.
• Level 2 autonomous vehicles do have certain self-driving functions without being fully self-operational.
• Level 3 autonomous cars are self-operational to a certain degree, but do require the driver to take over once the vehicle has accelerated to a certain speed.
• Level 4 categorizes all cars that are fully self-operational and only require a driver to step in under extremer circumstances, such as harsh weather conditions.
• Level 5 automated cars do not require a driver to be present at any time and under any circumstances. They are fully self-operational.