Autonomous cars: the end of insurance companies?

Posted on 07-08-2015 at 18:18 by MauritsH – 21 Comments”

Whether we now like it or not, cars go within a short time, an independent drive so that we calmly behind the wheel(?) can read/pieces/play on our pokkies etc. What are the possible consequences for the insurance industry?

In case of an accident (whether it be one or meerzijdig is), it is quite easy to find a culprit to point to, so that his insurer, in each case, the damage of the victims will have to pay for it. In the autonomous stuff is not so simple, because the one who is responsible in case of a possible hit?

One of Britain’s largest our insurance, Direct Line, thinks that autonomous cars are a more than significant impact on insurance as we know it now. It will also be a strong legal issue to determine to whom an accusing finger can be pointed, as the relevant car in full automatic mode it causes damage.

In addition, there is still a relatively young risk of hacking. Jeep took recently hit the headlines after hackers the power on the back of a moving Jeep Cherokee took over, but also Tesla’s software proved to be not completely waterproof. Both cases are now the well-fixed, but it makes it possible to designate a guilty party didn’t get easier if it turns out that attackers with the software of a self-propelled car have been tampered with.

It should also be clear that there are still numerous cases where insurers about after will have to think about, but that big changes are coming as fixed. And we’re not even talking about the transitional phase in which autonomous stuff in between the regular cars are driving. It will be interesting times.

Photo: Audi’s autonomous RS7