Self-driving cars used to be a work of science fiction. But now, fully autonomous vehicles are joining everyday commuters on Houston’s roadways. In early September, Zoox, an autonomous vehicle company owned by Amazon, announced plans to test self-driving taxis in Houston. The company says it will begin by deploying driver-operated vehicles to map the city’s streets. Later on, it will introduce fully autonomous taxis on the roads. As self-driving features become more common, so does the risk of accidents involving autonomous vehicles. After a crash with a self-driving car, who is responsible? That’s a question for a Houston accident lawyer, like Ryan Nguyen.
Responsibility after a car crash still depends on the facts of the accident, including the level of control in the driving automation. Many cars have self-driving features that assist the driver with steering or speed control, while others can drive without human intervention. Regardless, Ryan Nguyen is an attorney who understands how to cut through the confusion around liability. What matters most to him is securing the compensation you deserve!
Levels of Driving Automation
Not all self-driving technology works the same way. Some features only assist the driver, while others can take full control. SAE International developed the six levels of driving automation, which TxDOT uses to describe these technologies. Here’s what each means:
- Level 0 — No driving automation: A human drives, and a feature may provide warnings or assistance.
- Level 1 — Driver assistance: A feature assists with either steering or speed while the human drives.
- Level 2 — Partial driving automation: Features can assist with both steering and speed, but the human must continuously supervise the system. The human driver should be ready to take control if necessary.
- Level 3 — Conditional driving automation: The system can drive under the conditions for which it is designed, but the human must be available to take over when required.
- Level 4 — High driving automation: The system drives and handles driving without a human within its designed operating conditions.
- Level 5 — Full driving automation: The system can drive under all driver-manageable conditions without a human driver.
Why do these levels matter after a crash? Because determining who, or what, was actually controlling the vehicle can be an important part of understanding what went wrong and who should be held responsible.
Houston Accident Lawyer Answers: Who Might Be Responsible?
Who might be responsible after a self-driving car accident? Texas law can allocate responsibility among multiple parties.
In general, a human driver may be responsible if they were driving (i.e., their self-driving features were not in use) or if their own actions contributed to the crash. The company operating or deploying the self-driving vehicle may be responsible if its deployment or maintenance contributed to the crash. Another road user may be responsible if that person caused or contributed to the collision.
The automation level at the time of driving can also influence fault.
How Automation Levels Affect Fault
Suppose the self-driving car’s actions contributed to the crash. In that situation, the level of automation in use at the time of a crash can affect who is at fault. When applied to conversations around fault and car accidents, levels of automation don’t merely describe a feature’s capability. The applicable level for a car accident claim depends on which level is active at the time of the crash. Here’s how each automation level can influence a fault investigation:
- Levels 0-2: When no automation is active or only low levels of driver assistance are active, the human remains responsible for driving.
- Level 3: With conditional driving automation, the human may need to respond to a request to take over. The timing of that request and the human’s response can influence whether the manufacturer or the human driver bears responsibility.
- Level 4: When the system is handling the driving task within its designed operating conditions, an investigation may find that the supervising company is responsible.
- Level 5: If the system performs the driving task without a human driver, investigators may assess whether a system defect or the company’s conduct contributed to the crash.
Whether it’s a self-driving feature or human negligence, if another party is at fault for a crash, you deserve compensation. Reach out to a Houston accident lawyer, like Ryan Nguyen. He’s ready to fight for the payout you deserve!
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Self-driving technology may be new, but your right to seek compensation after someone else’s negligence isn’t. If you were injured in an accident involving a self-driving or autonomous vehicle in Houston, talk to a Houston accident lawyer like Ryan Nguyen. He was nicknamed The Falcon for his keen ability to navigate the unexpected, including self-driving car accidents.
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