Driverless cars: Who should be blamed for accidents?

A self-driving shuttle bus being tested in 2017. The report, produced by the Singapore Academy of Law's Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Sub-committee, says autonomous vehicles complicate the normal process of determining who should be liable for
A self-driving shuttle bus being tested in 2017. The report, produced by the Singapore Academy of Law's Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Sub-committee, says autonomous vehicles complicate the normal process of determining who should be liable for an accident, how liability is to be established and assessing any relevant defences. ST FILE PHOTO
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As society prepares for self-driving or autonomous cars, questions may be raised as to who is to blame when a traffic accident involving such vehicles leads to damage and personal injury.

A sub-committee of the Law Reform Committee from the Singapore Academy of Law has published a report on what could be done in terms of negligence, product liability and no-fault liability.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 28, 2020, with the headline Driverless cars: Who should be blamed for accidents?. Subscribe