Are driverless cars dangerous?

It’s becoming more common to look at cars driving beside you and find no one in the driver’s seat. They may drive past you, turn into another lane and even drive off the freeway all without user operation. It almost sounds like the beginning of a ghost story, but it’s a new generation of technology hitting the road.

Self-driving cars are the next best thing in technology – and perhaps the next cause of a vehicle accident. Here’s what you should know:

New technology isn’t foolproof

Driverless cars have been in the works for years, but only recently started gaining mass popularity. The technology in self-driving vehicles has only been in public use for the last couple of years. So don’t feel like you’ve been living under a rock because this is the first time you’ve heard of them.

Self-driving cars use the latest technologies to examine their surroundings and avoid accidents. But just because developers promise safety from their cars doesn’t mean it’s always given. The programing in driverless cars isn’t always perfect:

• They may be vulnerable to hacking. This could cause a driverless car to be controlled by someone else.
• They may have flaws in their programming. They could suddenly drive recklessly and fail to read their surroundings.
• They may not work around human-driven cars. They may not work with the unpredictability of other drivers around them.
• They may develop electrical issues. They may suddenly stop or lose battery life.

Even just one flaw in the system could cause a self-driving car to collide with you and the surrounding cars.

If you’ve been injured because of a driverless car then you may need to contact legal help. It can be hard to know who is at fault for a self-driving car accident.