The Problem with Driverless Cars

Megan McArdle unpacks what has always seemed to me the fatal flaw in driverless cars: liability.

If a driverless car is involved in an accident, it will be the corporate entity behind the car, not the end user, who is legally liable. Which is a giant problem–there’s just no way that either tech companies or auto manufacturers need that exposure.

There are only two solutions: (1) Change the legal system–which is McArdle’s suggestion. (2) Insulate the corporations by passing liability on to drivers–which would mean requiring them to be alert and paying attention at all times. Which would render “driverless-ness” not really much more helpful than cruise control.

Neither solution seems likely to make driverless cars a reality, at least in the U.S.