Volvo will take the blame if its driverless car crashes

Liability involving driverless car accidents has been an issue, which is why Volvo says, “Blame us” if the car crashes while in autonomous mode. This makes it “one of the first” companies to do so, following Mercedes and Google, who have made similar claims.

Volvo called for a single federal set of standards for autonomous vehicles to speed up development. The company says self-driving cars will be here sooner than we may think and it’s taking steps to extradite regulation, where a “patchwork” of rules on liability is holding back the industry.

“The U.S. risks losing its leading position on self-driving due to the lack of federal guidelines for the testing and certification of autonomous vehicles. Europe has suffered to some extent by having a patchwork of rules and regulations. It would be a shame if the U.S. took a similar path,” Volvo president and chief executive Hakan Samuelsson said.

“Volvo will accept full liability whenever one of its cars is in autonomous mode, making it one of the first car makers in the world to make such a promise.”

Volvo also wishes to see tougher rules on car hacking, especially where self-driving cars are concerned. According to Samuelsson, “We are constantly evolving defensive software to counter the risks associated with hacking a car. We do not blame Apple or Microsoft for computer viruses or hackers.”

In 2008, Volvo released Vision 2020, a protection plan to assist drivers with better safety features. “By 2020, nobody shall be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo,” said Anders Eugensson, Volvo’s top safety expert.

Volvo has been a company concerned with safety for years now and ensures its vehicles are protected, which is why it is laying the claim to be fully in charge of any autonomous driving accidents.

Via ExtremeTech