Self-driving Cars May Cause Accidents Due to Unexpected Behavior
Self-driving cars fascinate and excite many people. Others view this new type of vehicle with caution and even a little fear.
It is easy to understand why. There is a lot people do not know about autonomous vehicles. Much of the news surrounding autonomous vehicles is about bad accidents, like the self-driving Uber that hit and killed an Arizona woman in March.
Part of the problem is automakers remain tight-lipped about the testing. Yet, these tests are occurring on roads in Arizona, California, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada.
California Requires Reports About Self-Driving Tests
According to Wired, only California requires car companies report about their autonomous car testing. In addition to stating how far the cars have driven, the automakers must turn in collision reports. These documents must be filed within 10 business days of any accident, no matter how serious the accident.
That leaves California with the only comprehensive, public information about autonomous car crashes.
Autonomous Cars Are Most Frequently Rear-ended
Since California started requiring this information in 2014, there were 104 accident reports for self-driving cars. Forty-nine of those accidents occurred in 2018. The reports lack a lot of detail. However, the documents reveal one trend among the vehicles. Nearly two-thirds of the accidents occurred when self-driving cars were rear-ended.
Part of this could be chalked up to driver distraction, but it seems likely other factors are at work. In 22 of the 28 rear-end crashes, the computer was driving the car. That suggests maybe these autonomous vehicles were behaving in way that humans find unexpected.
Self-Driving Cars Break for Any Possible Obstacles
People have observed autonomous cars stopping for no reason, or slamming on the brakes whenever the vehicles encounter an obstacle. Those reactions are part of self-driving vehicle safety features. It also could be what is catching human drivers unaware.
These Vehicles Do Not Bend Traffic Rules
The CEO of Cruise, GM’s self-driving car, stated people also expect other drives to bend traffic rules like going through a yellow light or driving over the speed limit. Autonomous vehicles are designed not to make such unsafe choices, which again, may catch people off guard.
In the long run, these safety features should leave to safer roads. For now, drivers need to be aware that autonomous cars behave differently. It may be wise to give these cars more space on the road and to pay close attention while you are following one.