Being Responsible for Your Irresponsible Car

Our automobiles are continuing to become smarter and smarter with every new model year that gets released. One of these futuristic features that have become popular with new car models in Provo, Utah and beyond is the self-parking feature. This allows the driver to have the car park itself on demand — without the driver even needing to touch the wheel. But the question is, if this technology ever were to fail or misread a situation and cause an auto accident while parking, you may ask your lawyer who is responsible, you or the car manufacturer? 

Who Gets the Blame

As any lawyer will tell you, according to most auto insurance policies the driver is responsible for any accident caused by technology assistance. A good example of this is with cruise control; most cars today have this feature. If you are driving down the streets of Provo with your cruise control set at 45 MPH and you slam into the back of the car in front of you, you are still liable for that auto accident. It would be hard to make the case to a lawyer that you couldn’t do anything about it because the car gives you the power to stop it at any time.

Manual Override 

The legal liability is much the same with assisted parking. Each car with an assisted parking feature allows manual override at any time — so if the car’s feature is going to fail, it is up to the driver to pay attention and be able to stop it before an auto accident occurs. These cars are available all over the Provo area, and can be very useful in a college town where parking can often be difficult. But it is important to know what you are liable for and what you can do to best prevent an accident in the first place.

Tyler Davis is a legal writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry. Follow on Twitter.