A recent tragic accident involving a self-driving Uber car in Arizona has left many wondering about the insurance ramifications of self-driving cars. Will you need to carry auto insurance if you have a self-driving car? How much will this insurance cost? How will it be different from your current auto insurance?
As you might expect, once self-driving cars are commercially available for personal use, you may not need personal auto insurance at all, or if you do, you can expect your premium to be very low. The calculation of auto insurance premiums is based on risk level, and despite the fact that self-driving car accidents are well-publicized, the likelihood of a self-driving car being in an accident is dramatically lower than that of a manned car — as much as 90 percent lower.
Furthermore, if you do get into an accident while your car is driving, it can hardly be construed as your fault, unless you somehow tamper with the normal operation of the vehicle. The automaker would be liable for a self-driving failure just as they would be if the brakes or some other system of the car failed for a reason not related to your interference.
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Absolutely not. There are still a lot of issues to be worked out before we can dismiss the idea of personal auto insurance. What happens if you manually take over when driving a self-driving car and get into an accident? What happens when a self-driving car gets into an accident with a manned car? How much, if any, responsibility does the passenger have for making sure the self-driving car is functioning correctly? These are all issues that can determine if you will need insurance and how much you have to pay.
Furthermore, while self-driving cars may be the wave of the future, don’t expect the roads to be driver-free anytime soon. People are often slow to adopt radical technologies, and this is one of the most radical in recent memory.
Despite the fact that being driven by a self-driving car is much, much safer than having a cab driver take you somewhere, people are still inclined to feel safer if there is a human behind the wheel. There is an illusion of greater control with the human element that people may not be so quick to get rid of.
In addition, some corporations may bolster efforts to resist self-driving cars due to the effect it may have on the economy, such as lower fuel costs, lower repair costs, and reduced or eliminated insurance costs. The self-driving revolution will happen, but not for a while.
Even though you still have to pay for auto insurance, you don’t have to pay a fortune for it with David Pope Insurance. We have a powerful insurance network that we can use to help you find great rates on auto insurance and teen auto insurance. Contact us for a free quote today!