Google acknowledges 11 accidents in California with its self-driving cars

Google Inc. revealed Monday that its self-driving cars have been in 11 minor traffic accidents since it began experimenting with the technology six years ago.The company released the number after The Associated Press reported that Google had notified California of three collisions involving its self-driving cars since September, when reporting all accidents became a legal requirement as part of the permits for the tests on public roads.The director of Google’s self-driving car project wrote in a web post that all 11 accidents were minor — “light damage, no injuries” — and happened over 1.7 million miles of testing, including nearly 1 million miles in self-driving mode.“

Not once was the self-driving car the cause of the accident.

Chris Urmson, director of Google’s self-driving car project

It was not possible to independently verify Google’s assertions about the fault and nature of the collisions. The company would not release accident documentation, and the California Department of Motor Vehicles said it could not discuss details, citing confidentiality. The agency has licensed just 48 of these test cars. An accident caused by a self-driving car is a fear of the people developing them, whether at Google or one of the traditional automakers. That’s not just because if the accident is particularly horrific, public and political acceptance of the technology would suffer badly. It’s also because the reaction to the first car-caused accident will set a precedent in terms of financial liability. If a car in self-driving mode hits a pedestrian, the case becomes a matter of product liability.

Assuming that you are not dead, you are in a much better positon than if you had been hit by an ordinary, human-driven vehicle.

Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina who has studied issues about the cars