Assigning blame when robots drive
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As cars begin to drive themselves, the onus of liability gets murkier, creating new headaches for the insurance industry.
Why it matters: More than half of all new cars in the U.S. will offer hands-free driving by 2028, according to Telemetry's 2025 Assisted and Automated Driving Forecast.
- For insurers, that means rethinking risk assessments based on whether humans or robots are driving, and writing policies that separate driver liability from that of the vehicle itself.
Zoom in: At least six companies operate autonomous vehicles in Austin.
- An Axios examination of federal data shows that Waymo autonomous vehicles were involved in at least 16 collisions in Austin between June 16 and September 15 — though the records don't indicate who was at fault in the incidents.
What they're saying: Waymo's technology has been "involved in 5 times fewer injury-causing collisions compared to humans, including 11 times fewer that cause serious injury or worse," company spokesperson Chris Bonelli tells Axios.
- Waymo has logged more than 96 million fully autonomous miles across its markets since 2017.
Zoom out: Current underwriting practices rely on driver behavior, accident history and traffic offenses.
- As driving control shifts to AI systems, insurers must also analyze vehicle behavior.
- While today's hands-free highway-driving technology requires drivers to pay attention, future systems will let them take their eyes off the road under certain conditions.
- If the driver isn't required to be in the loop, liability will likely shift to the vehicle manufacturer or software provider — representing a fundamental change in the structure of auto insurance policies.
The latest: A cyclist is suing an Austin autonomous vehicle company for damages after he crashed his bike into one of the company's delivery robots in 2024.
- The lawsuit alleges Avride's robot failed to to yield the right of way at an East Austin intersection.
- Avride blamed the incident on negligence by the cyclist.
💠Asher's thought bubble: How does one exchange insurance information with a non-driver driver?