2014

Automotive technology continues to progress at a breakneck pace.  Current vehicles are already equipped with lane departure warnings and forward collision alerts, and the future holds Vehicle to Vehicle Communication that allows automobiles to interact with one another to reduce the risk of an accident.  And perhaps no technology is more promising that the self-driving… read more

Self-driving vehicles, which were once relegated to the realm of science fiction, may now only be a few years away.  Various automakers have put together semi-autonomous vehicles that can assist a driver as they go about their commute, while Google has been busy putting together test miles for vehicles that can purportedly drive of their… read more

When it comes to the future of automobile technology, autonomous seems to be the name of the game.  Google has been promoting perhaps the most promising technology, a type of vehicle that takes over every driving function from an operator.  Other automakers, though, are focused on taking incremental steps toward such a system. No matter… read more

Things have been somewhat quiet on the autonomous vehicle front, but that doesn’t mean that regulators have forgotten about this promising technology.  Self-driving cars from Google seem to be more a matter of when than if, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the United States Department of Transportation want to make sure that… read more

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s deputy director, an individual who also spent a large portion of his career at the Consumer Product Safety Commission, is leaving the NHTSA to go work for Google.  Because of his experience conducting vehicle safety investigations and developing safety standards for automobiles, he would seem ideally placed for his… read more

The Governor of California recently signed a bill regarding the performance and safety standards of autonomous vehicles along state roads. The bill will make it legal for citizens to operate a self-driving automobile if the person has a driver’s license. However, the driver is required to sit where he or she normally would on a… read more

By now, autonomous cars have entered the national consciousness in a big way.  Although they’re still a ways off from widespread production, the good news just keeps on coming.  Yesterday, Google, a company that’s been at the forefront in developing such technology, announced that they reached 300,000 test miles without an accident taking place. That… read more

Engineers and traffic safety officials got together recently for the first ever Driverless Car Summit in Detroit. They came to the conclusion that automation may greatly reduce highway deaths by preventing car accidents. Automation does so by correcting human error. A significant amount of money has been invested by the NHTSA to learn more about… read more

A set of questions regarding autonomous cars and their drivers is making the rounds now that Nevada has legalized the testing of self-driving cars. One of the primary questions that has arisen is, if everyone is being driven by an autonomous car, will there actually need to be auto insurance any longer? Insurance industry professionals… read more

Autonomous vehicles have been all over the news recently, and this blog is itself no exception.  But a new article takes a look at some of the interesting hurdles that must be overcome before such technology becomes commonplace. The writer of the article points to social acceptance as being one of the biggest challenges that… read more

A new report concerning autonomous cars paints a pretty picture for those hoping that such technology could have an impact on their wallet. The report, which was released by the Celent consulting firm, is called “A Scenario:  The End of Auto Insurance:  What Happens When There Are Almost No Accidents.”  Although there are a lot… read more

Legislation passed recently by the California state senate would establish guidelines under which self driving cars such as Google’s autonomous Prius could be tested on state owned roadways. Senate Bill 1298 was passed unanimously by a bipartisan 37 to 0 vote. In a press conference following the vote, the bill’s author expressed hope that self-driving… read more