The Accident

On May 7, 2016, Joshua Brown was killed in an accident in Williston, Florida. He had been driving his Tesla Model S Sedan when a tractor trailer turned in front of the car, which didn’t sense the vehicle and therefore did not stop. The roof was torn off the car and Brown was pronounced dead at the scene. When the driver of the trailer was interviewed, he said the Tesla was going so fast that he didn’t even see him. Brown had been using Tesla’s autopilot feature when the crash occurred.

Tesla’s Cars

The unfortunate irony in this situation is that Brown had previously been a big promoter of Tesla and their technology, even posting a video of his car avoiding a crash this April. He thought the vehicles made the driving experience safer overall. To be fair, they do. This crash demonstrates a glitch in an otherwise good system that is being improved every day.

Tesla has created an autopilot system that, when combined with participation from the driver, will make driving safer. This is because it will minimize the driver’s participation, and about 94 percent of accidents are due to driver error. What the autopilot feature does is this: it can steer itself in a lane, change lanes, speed up and slow down in traffic, and brake. It can also parallel park, which may be the most exciting feature. The driver, however, is still responsible for the car. Before the autopilot mode turns on, Tesla requires drivers to acknowledge that they are still alert, keep both hands on the wheel, and be ready to take over for themselves. This ensures that the driver will pay attention to the road despite using autopilot.

The cause of this crash has yet to be determined, but it certainly brought self-driving cars into the spotlight. This can only help us in the future, as companies like Tesla work out the glitches in the system and prevent others from getting hurt.

Do You Need Professional Assistance?

While it still may seem unlikely that the average American will be cruising around in self driving cars anytime soon, the future is coming. Many companies have started to incorporate similar features in their own cars, making them more and more common. It is entirely possible that you or someone you know could be involved in a similar accident, so make sure you know what to do. Contact us at the office of Alan Goldfarb, P.A. in Miami to talk to our lawyers about what to do if you get into a car accident. We will discuss your options and figure out what your next steps should be.

Automated Driving: Convenient or Dangerous?

Consumers, automakers, and investment companies are all split on what impact self-driving cars could have on our safety. One school of thought is that automated driving will take reflexes, fear, and blind spots out of the picture, leading to road safety. An automated car will be calibrated to respond to situations before they occur, making decisions before a driver would even know the decision needed to be made. People could increase productivity, being able to lounge in the backseat instead of having to focus on the road.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for keeping our hands at 10 and 2. Despite 2014 being plagued with the most auto recalls in history, driving a car is safer than ever. New safety features such as curtain airbags and back up cameras have reduced accidents significantly, to the point where the Economist recently reported that for the first time ever, guns will kill more people in the United States than cars. Improved safety features in infant seats, increased seatbelt regulations, and additional anti-drunk driving campaigns have also likely contributed to this trend.

Even with improved safety features, 2,407 Floridians were killed in auto accidents in 2013, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Highway Loss Data Institute. Handheld devices such as iPods and cellular phones are contributing to distracted driving more than ever, and these distractions continue to create accidents. Considering that a self-driving car would allow the driver to relinquish complete control of driving and keep their eyes off the road entirely, this is something that is difficult for most people to comprehend at this time.

Miami Auto Accident Attorneys

Even though most of us cannot wait to get out hands on the newest technology, many Americans are apprehensive about getting into a self-driving car. It is possible that self-driving cars will be a gradual progression; perhaps designing a car that still has a steering wheel and allows some level of control from the driver will be seen as a reasonable compromise. For now, drivers will still have to sit behind the wheel and be faced with making their own decisions about their attention to the road, their speed, and the effect of their driving on those around them.

If you have been involved in an auto accident, you may be confused about your legal rights. Even if the accident was partially your fault, you may still be entitled to compensation under Florida law. Our knowledgeable auto accident trial attorneys at Alan Goldfarb, P.A. will work with you to ensure you understand your legal options after you have been a victim in a car accident. Contact us at our Miami office today.