Autonomous Cars: When Nobody’s Driving, Who’s to Blame?

The future is here, apparently. We were promised a world without road rage, drunk drivers, or that bloke in the BMW who thinks indicators are optional. Autonomous driving is creeping from concept videos into reality, and manufacturers are selling it as the solution to human stupidity behind the wheel.

But let’s fast-forward to the inevitable: two fully autonomous cars, both in self-driving mode, meet on a busy junction. The sensors twitch, the algorithms churn… and then, crunch. Who’s responsible when nobody’s holding the wheel?

The Legal Grey Zone

Current traffic laws are written for meat-based drivers. If you own the car, you’re responsible, even if the “driver” is a glorified graphics card running on coffee and lithium-ion. That means right now, you’d probably still get the insurance bill.

Some governments are already tinkering with updates, the UK’s Automated Vehicles Bill and a few US states’ pilot laws, but they’re more “let’s make a committee” than “let’s fix this.”

Manufacturer vs. Owner

If the crash happened because your Tesla, Waymo, or Cruise vehicle decided a red light was just a polite suggestion, you’d think the manufacturer should foot the bill. But corporations have lawyers, and lawyers have a magical way of making things your fault.

Insurance companies, meanwhile, are licking their lips. Expect a new premium tier: Autonomous Risk Cover, from just twice your current rate.

AI vs AI

Here’s the real courtroom popcorn moment: both cars are on autonomous mode. One swerved 0.4 seconds late; the other misread a cyclist as a lamppost. Whose AI made the worse decision? Are we heading toward lawsuits where neural networks testify in their own defence?

The End of Drink Driving?

In theory, fully autonomous vehicles could kill drink driving overnight. You could leave the pub barely able to remember your name, climb in, and let the car get you home while you pass out in the back.

In practice, there’s a catch, as long as cars still have a manual mode, some genius will insist on driving home after “just three pints.” The real question: will governments eventually ban human driving altogether on public roads? That would be a cultural earthquake.

The Ethical Minefield

Even if the tech works perfectly, there’s the small matter of morality. In an unavoidable crash, will AI decide to save you, the driver, or the family crossing the road? The answer depends on who programmed it… and which markets they wanted to sell it to.

The Bottom Line

Autonomous driving could be the biggest leap forward in road safety since the seatbelt, or the most expensive game of legal ping-pong in history. Either way, when nobody’s driving, someone will still be paying.