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Phoenix has quietly become the proving ground for self-driving cars in America. Waymo runs thousands of paid robotaxi rides a week across the metro area. The flat grid streets, dry weather and wide lanes make it about as forgiving a test environment as exists for autonomous tech.
The Safety Pitch, and Where It Gets Complicated
The sales pitch of autonomous vehicles has been centered on safety. Human error accounts for a significant portion of automobile accidents. In addition to distracted driving, fatigued driving, misjudging the distance between vehicles and failing to observe red traffic signals or stop signs, there are many types of errors made by humans while operating a motor vehicle. By removing humans from the equation, proponents of autonomous vehicles argue that such vehicles can significantly reduce the amount of risk associated with motor vehicle travel.
Waymo’s vehicles experience fewer injury-causing collisions per mile traveled compared to human drivers in the same cities. However, Waymo’s former competitor, Cruise (now a part of General Motors), experienced a far less favorable outcome in its testing of autonomous vehicles in Phoenix. Both companies operated on the same roadways. Zoox and Tesla are currently testing in Phoenix although neither are yet offering driverless commercial rides.
The differences in outcomes indicate that autonomous technology is not a singular technology with a singular safety record. Rather, autonomous technology consists of various elements such as sensor suites and mapping methods that vary greatly among manufacturers and models.
How Traditional Automakers Approach Autonomous Tech
Instead of pursuing full autonomy and thereby potentially increasing exposure to lawsuits resulting from accidents caused by autonomous vehicles, traditional automakers are taking a more conservative approach to developing autonomous technology. They are focusing on providing advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) as either standard or optional on all new electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
While ADAS-equipped vehicles do not eliminate the responsibility of the driver to remain attentive and aware during motor vehicle travel, they can reduce the number of accidents that result in fatalities. Specifically, ADAS-equipped vehicles can help prevent rear-end collisions, lane departure accidents and pedestrian/vehicle collisions at slower speeds. While this may be viewed as a limited benefit compared to fully autonomous vehicles, it represents a benefit that can currently be substantiated based on available data.
Liability Issues Autonomous Vehicles
Regardless of whether the goal is to develop fully autonomous vehicles or simply to enhance current motor vehicles, there remains the reality that accidents will continue to occur regardless of whether or not these technologies are deployed. When such accidents do occur, determining liability between the human operator of a vehicle, the software controlling it and the manufacturer presents a complex legal issue.
If you’re traveling in Phoenix and get injured in an accident involving an autonomous or ADAS-equipped vehicle, it’s recommended to contact a Phoenix car accident lawyer with specific knowledge of the liability issues with autonomous vehicles.
The Unspoken Issue of Vehicle Heat
Arizona’s extreme heat is an additional variable that complicates the development of autonomous technology. Batteries used in electric vehicles and the sensor suites tend to degrade at a faster rate when exposed to higher temperatures. It is unlikely that the results obtained from testing autonomous vehicles under hot desert conditions will translate directly to testing performed in cooler climates. Manufacturers seeking to deploy autonomous fleets nationwide must consider this variable when creating safety records based on data collected in Arizona.
What This Means for Buyers
Buyers should check manufacturers’ driver-assistance claims backed with published crash data, over-the-air update transparency and a service network that understands how heat affects both battery and sensor performance.
