This SAE EDGE™ Research Report explores how the deployment of automated vehicles
(AVs) will affect the insurance industry and the principles of liability that
underly the structure of insurance in the US. As we trade human drivers for
suites of sensors and computers, who (or what) is responsible when there is a
crash? The owner of the vehicle? The automaker that built it? The programmer
that wrote the code?
Insurers have over 100 years of experience and data covering human drivers, but
with only a few years’ worth of information on AVs – how can they properly
predict the true risks associated with their deployment? Without an
understanding of the nature and risks of AVs, how can the government agencies
that regulate the insurance industry provide proper oversight? Do the challenges
AVs present require a total reworking of our insurance and liability systems, or
can our current structures be adapted to fit them with minor modifications?
Unsettled Legal Issues Facing Automated Vehicles explores a number
of potential challenges and unsettled topics facing the insurance industry and
offers potential solutions brought forth from a team of seven legal experts.