{"id":10254,"date":"2024-06-10T07:41:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T07:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/?p=10254"},"modified":"2025-01-15T14:09:38","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T14:09:38","slug":"self-driving-cars-insurance-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/auto\/self-driving-cars-insurance-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Future Insured: How Self-Driving Cars Will Affect Insurance\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Future Insured: How Self-Driving Cars Will Affect Insurance<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the past several years, auto manufacturers and technology companies have slowly but surely progressed on the journey to create functional, safe self-driving cars practical for everyday use. These businesses are now starting to test their autonomous vehicles on the road, drawing attention to one key question: \u201cHow will self-driving cars affect insurance?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you drive a traditional, non-autonomous car, you need to purchase auto insurance<\/a> to protect your vehicle and reduce your financial liability if you cause an accident. But if a car doesn\u2019t have a driver, who is actually liable? As self-driving cars become more common on the road, insurers are likely to rethink how their car insurance systems work. If you\u2019re interested in the future of autonomous vehicles \u2014 or are simply curious about what would happen if you got into an accident with a self-driving vehicle \u2014 stay prepared by exploring some of the possibilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steering Into the Future: The Arrival of Self-Driving Cars<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Self-driving cars, also known as autonomous cars or robocars, have been in the works for decades. The idea is that driverless systems will be able to avoid common human issues, like not using proper lane and highway etiquette<\/a>, speeding, and not checking blind spots. Governments, tech giants, and auto-makers have all invested countless dollars into making this vision of the future a reality. However, development has rapidly accelerated in the past few years. Just a few years ago, the idea of seeing driverless cars still seemed like a futuristic fantasy. But now, you can see an autonomous vehicle while you\u2019re out on your daily commute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Sci-Fi to Highway: The Progress of Autonomous Vehicle Technology<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Inventors have fantasized about automated vehicles ever since Leonardo Da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart in the 16th century. However, the development of autonomous vehicles started gaining more momentum in the mid-1900s. Scientists and engineers slowly started to develop the foundation for self-driving vehicles with technologies like cruise control and algorithms that could identify and respond to street signs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1987, engineer Ernst Dickmanns outfitted a sedan with smart cameras and an imaging system that honed in on relevant visual information on the road. This technology allowed robocars to identify road hazards and respond to traffic changes successfully. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2015, the idea of autonomous vehicles hit the commercial market with Tesla\u2019s \u201cAutopilot\u201d option for the Model X. Although \u201cAutopilot\u201d wasn\u2019t completely self-sufficient, it was the first introduction of hands-free driving to the general public. Since then, companies like Mercedes and Honda have slowly introduced even more advanced automation features into their vehicles, shifting from simple driver assistance to genuine automation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fully autonomous vehicles aren\u2019t yet available to the average person, you can still find them on the roads in some cities. Self-driving car companies like Waymo are already rolling out driverless taxi services after years of extensive testing and real-time monitoring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Road Map to Full Automation: Understanding the 6 Levels of AV Capability<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to self-driving cars, automation is a spectrum. The Society of Automotive Engineers developed a system for categorizing different levels of driving automation. The scale goes from zero to five, with zero indicating no autonomous driving capabilities and five indicating full autonomy with no need for driver involvement. Here are each of the levels: <\/p>\n\n\n\n