Audi Will Take Full Responsibility for Accidents Caused by Its Self-Driving Cars

• Published On: 21 September 2017
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In case one of its cars is involved in an accident in autonomous mode, the company will accept full liability.

Volvo Announced, in 2015, that it will accept full liability if one of its autonomous, self-driving cars crashes. Now, Audi has followed suit and has stated that it will take full responsibility if one of its autonomous driving cars is involved in an accident.

Audi’s boss of pre-development of automated driving, Dr Thorsten Leonhardt, made the announcement during an event in Germany that showcased the 2018 Audi A8’s Level 3 autonomous driving technology. Leonhardt stated, “When the function is operated as intended, if the customer turns the traffic jam pilot on and uses it as intended, and if the car was in control at the time of the accident, the driver goes to his insurance company and the insurance company will compensate the victims of the accident and in the aftermath they come to us and we have to pay them.”

Audi’s AI Traffic Jam Pilot system will debut in the Euro-spec A8s and is the market’s first SAE Level 3 autonomous system – it can be used on highways and multi-lane roads, where there exists a physical barrier separating oncoming traffic.