Driverless Cars - We Don't Have the Answers (Yet) and Problems Are Coming

Driverless Cars.

Driverless Trucks.

Millions of cab drivers, truck drivers, restaurant employees, hotel/motel employees are about to lose their jobs.

That's what we've been hearing. And I don't think it's a lie. It just might be delayed.

You see the recent crashes, and deaths, with Uber and Tesla vehicles raise real questions. What do we do? There are real lives at stake.

The knee-jerk reaction is to stop all development and go back to human driven cars.

But human driven cars have their issues too! Look how many deaths human drivers cause in a given year.

It's clear that computers and automation - that don't get tired and don't get distracted - are the future.

But how do we get there? The legal landscape is messy!

Who pays when someone dies at the hands of a driverless car? Their family likely needs to money (less than they need the loved one) especially if children are involved.

Until now it was clear - if the driver was at fault the driver (or their insurance) paid. But now it's not so clear.

Who pays now when there is no driver? Is it the software company? The hardware company? Who pays?

Honestly we don't know. The law is going to evolve. And the legal rules we set today will affect future generations - let's get it right.

Here's a video on some of the legal issues in the Uber and Tesla-type events.

NOTE: I am a lawyer, but not your lawyer. Consult your attorney. General statements of the law here are not legal advice but for discussion purposes.