Germany On Self-Driving Cars; Black Boxes And More Restrictive Regulation

Fully autonomous driving is still a long way off from becoming a reality if the recent debacles involving Tesla’s autopilot features are anything to go by, which is why Germany is proposing some new regulations involving self-driving vehicles. Essentially, the proposal would mean that a vehicle would have data-storing components much like black boxes on planes, which will then make any accidents related to self-driving vehicles easier to analyze.

Tesla has been taking the brunt of the outrage from the general public recently as their auto-pilot feature seems to be at the forefront of many self-driving car accidents this year. So prominent is this issue for the world that Germany is proposing the installment of black boxes in the cars with autonomous features in order to determine whose fault an accident is, Reuters reports.

The proposal was submitted by Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt, and it also adds that drivers should still pay attention to the road even with the auto-pilot engaged. This is a sentiment that Tesla and other companies that have such features echo, which is shown by the way they discourage drivers from losing focus on the road when the autonomous feature is on and that they are advised to always keep their hands on the wheel.

The proposal is still in its draft stage and is due to be approved by ministers over the summer. This decision will then affect all car makers that will be producing self-driving vehicles, which could potentially include Volkswagen, BMW, and Daimler.

On that note, there are those who are expressing concerns with regards to the effects of the proposal on the innovation sector. The Verge noted that the U.S. is also trying to pass similar regulations pertaining to autonomous driving, with car makers trying to push back against what they consider a restrictive proposal.

Car makers argue that putting any kind of limitation on the self-driving industry would dampen innovation, thus halting creative solutions to existing problems. However, with the prospect of fatalities resulting from self-driving cars being a very real issue right now, Tesla and other auto companies could be facing a tough fight ahead.