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| A photo of an Audi autonomous vehicle dubbed "AI:ME" roams through the streets of Las Vegas during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), on Jan 7. Courtesy of Audi |
By Kim Hyun-bin
Korea will be able to accommodate operations of basic Level 3 self-driving vehicles on public roads as early as July, however, the new initiative requires a period of trial and error, as uncertainties in technology produce high costs for early adapters in purchasing the vehicle as well as high insurance premiums.
Many consumers are raising questions over the new technology asking, "Who will be at fault during a collision?" and "Is the vehicle able to cope with emergency situations?"
A Level 3 autonomous car is capable of keeping lanes in highways, but needs the driver to intervene to change lanes and in emergency situations.
In case of a possible frontal collision or other emergencies, the Level 3 car platform is required to send signals to the driver alerting them to take control.
These circumstances raises questions as to who is at fault, the driver or manufacturer, in the case of an accident.
Many auto experts believe the manufacturer will have limited liability compare to the driver as it requires the driver to take caution.
Overseas, the driver is primarily responsible in a Level 3 vehicle accident.
According to the Korea Insurance Research Institute, Japanese and English laws make the driver primarily responsible for an autonomous vehicle collision, but allow for the right of reimbursement from the manufacturer if the accident occurred due to a systematic malfunction
Many experts believe, the driver will not be exempted from responsibility even when a warning signal was not issued as they are required to take control in the case of emergencies.
Car insurance companies believe there could be new types of accidents that could emerge when operating the vehicles such as systematic malfunctions, communication disruptions as well as hacking threats that could lead to accidents.
When the new vehicles are allowed on the road, insurance costs are expected to surge as it will be difficult to calculate insurance rates with no accumulated accident data and as the vehicle itself is much more expensive than regular sedans. Currently, autonomous vehicle insurance for driverless test vehicles is set between 6 million to 8 million won ($6,887) a year.
"Currently, there are no laws that define the liability of compensation for autonomous vehicles," an official from a major insurance company said. "There needs to be a concrete line that defines who is at fault whether it be the driver or the manufacturer."
Last May, Rep. Hwang Hee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea submitted a revision to the Automobile Accident Compensation Act, which includes autonomous vehicle coverage.
The revision makes mandatory for all autonomous vehicle owners to purchase car insurance, applying the same rules as regular sedans. However, in the wake of an accident, if it was deemed to be caused from a systematic malfunction within the vehicle, the insurance company will be able to file a claim for damages from the manufacturer.
"The revision was passed by the Land Infrastructure, and Transport Committee and there are no big difference in opinion between party lines, so we believe the revisions will be passed at the National Assembly within the first half of this year," Rep. Hwang said.?
There are five levels of automation driving defined by the U.S. Society of Automotive Engineers International.
At Level 4, a vehicle can drive itself under limited conditions and operate only if all required conditions are met.
Level 5 can automatically drive under any conditions without the need of a steering wheel.
Korea's auto giants, Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. are expected to unveil the Level 3 autonomous vehicles in the first half of 2021.
