Cars May Drive Themselves But Don' t Start Getting Distracted CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News Cars May Drive Themselves But Don' t Start Getting Distracted

Cars May Drive Themselves But Don' t Start Getting Distracted

Apr. 18, 2018 10:40 AM ET by Jared Rosenholtz / 10 Comments Soon, it may be against the law to be distracted in an autonomous car. Every time a self-driving car has an accident, the question arrises of how regulators will need to adapt in order to match an autonomous future. If an autonomous car kills someone, who is at fault? The fully self-driving car still isn't ready for the general public, but every time we hear an automaker talk about the potential of autonomous vehicles, it tends to be illustrated with images of passengers reading in the back seat or even catching up on sleep. Unfortunately, these images may not end up becoming a reality. Auto Express reports about new potential laws (in the United Kingdom), which could prohibit the drivers of autonomous cars from watching TV, reading, or generally being distracted while the car is in control. A study by the Autonomous Vehicle Consortium Venturer showed drivers needed a lag time of about two seconds before taking over behind the wheel. Based on this lag time, a car traveling at 50 mph would move about 150 feet with neither the car nor the driver being in control. As we have experienced in semi-autonomous cars such as the Volvo XC60, the driver still needs to be alert in case the system deactivates while on the move. Professor Sarah Sharples, Associate Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange and Professor of Human Factors at the University of Nottingham, provided advice for the study, and said "It is therefore important to understand the implications of increased autonomy on the capability of humans to maintain vigilance and attention in order to be able to respond to an emergency situation." Unfortunately, this kind of defeats the whole purpose of having a self-driving car, that is, enabling the owner to focus on other tasks while the car drives. Insurance companies and law makers have a long way to go before deciding on who takes the blame for an autonomous car crash. Volvo

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Cadillac CT6 Sedan Tesla Model S Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top