Attorney Amy Witherite Says Technology Experts Warn About the Danger of Driverless Cars and Trucks

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Technical experts caution there is no proof driverless cars and trucks will be safer, as the technology has not been fully vetted. Attorney and traffic safety expert Amy Witherite, whose firm specializes in motor vehicle accidents emphasizes the need for thorough evaluation before widespread adoption.

According to the Association for Computer Machinery (ACM), the nation’s premier association of computer engineers. “…experimental automated vehicles have caused and will continue to cause, serious injuries and fatalities to public road users, as well as other problems.”

Driverless trucks are scheduled to take the road this year as autonomous transportation services continue to expand. DHL Supply Chain has launched autonomous transportation services and is now hauling freight along Dallas and Houston as well as Fort Worth and El Paso. Meanwhile, Kodiak Robotics, Inc. and Pilot Company have recently opened a facility in Villa Rica, Georgia, to support autonomous trucks on Georgia Highways.

Ride-hailing leader Uber has announced it will dispatch robotaxis built by driverless technology pioneer Waymo beginning in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia. Lyft has just announced it will bring driverless robotaxis to Dallas sometime next year, and there is nothing the city can do to stop them.

“One big sales pitch for driverless vehicles is that they will be safer,” said Witherite. “But ACM recently warned that policymakers should not assume that is the case.”

“…fully automated vehicles cannot now and may never be able to operate safely without a human driver’s active participation and engagement except on limited roadways and under controlled conditions,” according to ACM.

“We fully agree with these experts that policymakers have struggled to keep pace with advancing technology and have yet to put in place an effective regulatory system that assures the public that safety concerns are being adequately addressed,” said Witherite.

According to ACM, as of 2023, fully automated vehicles had been test-driven for less than 20 million miles vs. the trillions of miles driven each year by conventional vehicles.

“It is also no surprise that research from the Pew Research Center reveals only one in five Americans feel comfortable or extremely comfortable sharing the road with driverless cars,” says Witherite. “The warning signs are there but is anyone in authority listening?”

The Witherite Law Group specializes in vehicle accident cases and offers crucial support for individuals involved in accidents with driverless vehicles. For more information visit their website. www.witheritelaw.com.