Via Slate:
Still unclear, even with these early adopters, is the precise responsibility of the human user, assuming one exists. Must the "drivers" remain vigilant, their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road? If not, what are they allowed to do inside, or outside, the vehicle? Under Nevada law, the person who tells a self-driving vehicle to drive becomes its driver. Unlike the driver of an ordinary vehicle, that person may send text messages. However, they may not "drive" drunk—even if sitting in a bar while the car is self-parking. Broadening the practical and economic appeal of self-driving vehicles may require releasing their human users from many of the current legal duties of driving.
Laws for driverless cars: Who is responsible for crashes and traffic violations. - Slate Magazine
Points:
- “…we have time to figure out some of the truly futuristic legal questions: How do you ticket a robot? Who should pay? And can it play (or drive) by different rules of the road?”
- “…legal issues related to disclosure, consent, and ownership will mix with important policy questions about the costs and benefits of data sharing.”
- “…what happens when things go wrong—or at least not as right as they might?”
Some reading about technology and the law in print and electronic formats:
