AA says legislation is needed in Ireland on self-driving cars
Legislation for self-driving cars
There are concerns about who is liable in the event of a self-driving car being involved in a collision here in Ireland.
Legislation on the use of autonomous and self-driving cars has to be introduced s preparation for the future of motoring, AA Ireland has warned.
An AA survey has found that almost half of respondents believe that self-driving cars are not advanced enough yet to handle Irish roads and weather conditions. An interesting part of the survey found that almost a quarter would feel comfortable using the technology right now.
Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs at the AA said there is a “major gap” in Irish legislation when it comes to self-driving cars.
“As with any emerging technology people of course are going to have concerns, but we know beyond doubt that motoring will, in the near-future, go predominantly electric before self-driving cars follow in the slightly more distant future,”
“That said, there are cars out there which have the ability to self-drive in certain situations or even self-park so the future of your car taking you all the way from Dublin to Cork without any intervention on the driver’s part is not as far away as people may believe.”
The Automobile Association believes there is a gap in the current legislation with regards liability in the event of a self-driving car being involved in a collision or incident and whether any costs should be covered by the car owner or the manufacturer.
“Understandably motorists are concerned about the potential of having to cover damages through their insurance despite not technically operating the car,” Mr Faughnan added.
“Clarity and a definitive answer to the question of who is liable is needed and this can only be answered properly through updating and introducing new legislation.”
The survey, of over 5,000 people, found that more than a quarter of people strongly agreed that if a self-driving car is involved with an accident, the car owner’s insurance should cover any costs. 
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