Could Self-Driving Cars Cut Down On Accidents?

 Posted on November 08, 2013 in Personal Injury

A new study from the Eno Center for Transportation is causing people to rethink the role of computers in cars. With the majority (90 percent) of all accidents being a result of operator error, automating vehicles has been of interest in the automobile development industry for several years now. Operator errors, like speeding, drug use, inexperience, and distraction, can lead to serious car accidents and injured victims. The results of the study are staggering: if only 10 percent of all vehicles in the country became self-driving, yearly accidents would be reduced by at least 211,000. That equates to more than 1,110 saved lives, and dramatic reductions in the cost of vehicle accidents. Automated computers in the vehicles, as recommended by research, would be more fully equipped to take in data about road conditions and use that data to alter driving behavior. Self-driving cars would take the human error aspect out of car accidents, which might lead to drastic reductions in total numbers of accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, for example, has research showing that up to 33 percent of fatally injured drivers had drugs in their system. Since computers don't use drugs or alcohol, these major causes of fatal car accidents would be totally eliminated if everyone used a self-driving car. These cars would come with the ability to communicate with other vehicles and infrastructure systems, a development which could help reduce congestion on the roads, too. Traffic jams are notorious for increasing the chances of accidents for drivers, but these communication systems would help limit congestion and therefore, accidents. This communication feature would also help one vehicle be better able to anticipate the behavior of a vehicle near it. These improvements in cars and their widespread use might lead to fewer numbers of car accidents around the country. If you have been injured in a car accident and need legal advice, speak with an Illinois personal injury lawyer today.