How is Google revolutionizing the future of driving and transportation? Thanks to Google’s self-driving cars, aging and/or visually impaired Americans — along with many others — may soon have the autonomy and independence of riding in a vehicle. Google’s self-driving cars successfully navigated rural highways and, now, they are able safely stop, drive, and turn in densely populated cities. What’s next?
How is Google Making Its Self-Driving Cars Even Better?
Google recently announced that it is testing 100 prototypes of entirely new, self-driving cars — with significant changes. What are they? The new vehicles do not have gas pedals, steering wheels, or brakes. “They won’t have a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal… because they don’t need them. Our software and sensors do all the work,” Google writes. Like prior models, Google is confident in the self-driving cars’ abilities to identify hazards and obstacles even more efficiently than human drivers — especially once they’ve worked the kinks out. Right now, Google is still working closely with the vehicles to improve merging, lane changes, and turning right on red.
Are Self-Driving Cars Safe? What Happens If You Get Into An Accident?
Consumers are reasonably tentative. Once self-driving cars hit the market, many Americans are concerned about the safety and other, related logistics. What will happen in the event of car accident injuries and accidental death? How will car accident attorneys approach auto accident settlements (and related wrongful death settlements)? Even Google is not entirely clear on the answers to all of these questions. The leading internet company does know, however, that the likelihood of a collision with their self-driving cars is highly unlikely. The cars only report two accidents in 700,000 miles — and, in both accidents, the self-driving cars were not at fault.
Google’s self-driving cares may very well change the future of transportation. Many, reasonably, are asking how they will affect auto accident settlements. Remember, collisions are highly unlikely, but — when and if they happen — they will most likely be handled on a case-by-case basis. References.