Self-driving cars are certainly not perfect. The technology is not flawless and they do cause accidents. That’s why testing is so important, and it is definitely an ongoing process.
However, is it fair to say that self-driving cars would be more dangerous than human drivers? People often worry about this, but the statistics suggest otherwise.
Human error causes the majority of accidents
What is important to remember is that the reason for most car accidents is just human error. Drivers make mistakes and cause those accidents in around 94% of cases. The vast majority of accidents are easily avoidable if people simply did not make these mistakes. Examples include everything from running a stop sign to breaking the speed limit to making an ill-advised left turn.
The benefit of self-driving cars is that they would take humans out of the equation. This should eliminate most of these human errors. That is not to say that computer systems aren’t going to make mistakes themselves, but the real question is not whether computers are perfect. They just need to be better than human drivers, and people currently cause around 40,000 fatalities every year. If self-driving cars could outperform that statistic, even if there were still thousands of fatal accidents, they would still be an improvement.
Seeking compensation
The unfortunate reality is that car accidents are going to continue, whether cars or computers are in control. Technology is getting better, but we are a long way from having safe roads. Those who have been injured in these accidents must know what legal options they have to seek compensation.
