Skip advert
Advertisement

Toyota boss says autonomous cars will accept crash liability

Manufacturers will have to accept liability in the event of an autonomous accident, according to bosses at Toyota’s research institute

Toyota logo

Manufacturers of autonomous cars will have to accept liability in the event of an accident involving one of their vehicles – according to the specialist in charge of Toyota’s project to develop its own self-driving technology.

Dr Gill Pratt, CEO of Toyota Research Institute, says that manufacturers “won’t have a choice” but to accept that without a human driver to blame for an accident, the law is likely to turn to the companies who make the vehicles instead.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Driverless cars: everything you need to know

“As we move towards autonomous cars, the crash rate will be lower than now but it will not be zero,” Pratt told Auto Express. “When that does happen, there will really only be one thing left to take responsibility – the company that made the product. 

“The reality is that no one has a choice,” Pratt said. “The law dictates what we will have to do. Different parts of the world have different laws, and we follow the law.”

Pratt, whose division has developed a running Toyota prototype with integrated Lidar sensors that’s capable of Level 4 Autonomy, where the driver can take their hands completely off the wheel – admitted that the predicted roll-out of autonomous cars has slipped slightly over the past 18 months.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

“The industry as a whole has adjusted the expectations of the timelines for when things are going to roll out,” he said. “I think that it’s all because of the realisation that there are technical difficulties in predicting what human beings do. Any car in a mixed environment has to do really good job of predicting what other drivers will do, what pedestrians and cyclists will do. It doesn’t understand unless it’s seen millions of training scenarios and videos.

“The obstacles currently in the way are technical - predicting what things around you are going to do – social, in terms of liability and also brand risk, and economic; where within the price of the car are we going to be able to pay for this stuff?

“On the liability front, in some ways autonomous cars could be like a vaccine. Vaccines save millions of lives almost all of the time, but once in a while, they can cause an adverse reaction and a person who was otherwise healthy before can get sick and even die. 

Peugeot says level 4 autonomous cars would mean £13,000 price hike

“With vehicle autonomy, we have the potential to save a lot of lives, but some of the time we’re going to have lives lost. So it’s a question for society to decide. Is it okay to accept some technology will save lot of lives but also cost some lives?”

What do you think of autonomous cars? Let us know in the comments below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Editor-at-large

John started journalism reporting on motorsport – specifically rallying, which he had followed avidly since he was a boy. After a stint as editor of weekly motorsport bible Autosport, he moved across to testing road cars. He’s now been reviewing cars and writing news stories about them for almost 20 years.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Toyota Urban Cruiser EV: new cabin pictures and trim details released
Toyota Urban Cruiser - front 3/4 with Charlie

Toyota Urban Cruiser EV: new cabin pictures and trim details released

New compact electric SUV from Toyota opens its doors to give us a close look inside
News
10 Feb 2025
Best car makers for brand loyalty: only one can top Tesla
Toyota Prius - front cornering, close

Best car makers for brand loyalty: only one can top Tesla

Three in four Toyota buyers would stick with the brand in the future, with the firm’s premium marque, Lexus, also performing well in this regard
News
7 Feb 2025
New Toyota MR2 is all but confirmed
Toyota MR2 design render (watermarked)

New Toyota MR2 is all but confirmed

Work is under way on a new petrol two-seater that will use the mid-engined powertrain from Toyota's Tokyo Auto Salon concept
News
22 Jan 2025
Tokyo Auto Salon 2025: all the highlights and exciting new cars
Tokyo Auto Salon 2025 header image

Tokyo Auto Salon 2025: all the highlights and exciting new cars

TAS 2025 highlighted the latest in tuning, off-road accessories, and new cars...
News
14 Jan 2025

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: High-spec Nissan Qashqai for £191 a month is a steal
Nissan Qashqai - front cornering right

Car Deal of the Day: High-spec Nissan Qashqai for £191 a month is a steal

The Nissan Qashqai is a family favourite, with plenty of style and kerb appeal. It’s our Deal of the Day for 13 February
News
13 Feb 2025
New Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle 2025 review: makes 7-seater SUVs feel cramped
Volkswagen Transporter e-Shuttle - front

New Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle 2025 review: makes 7-seater SUVs feel cramped

The Ford-based Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle is refined, good to drive and has plenty of space in all three rows
Road tests
14 Feb 2025
New Renault Clio to shun electric power and stick with petrol and hybrid options
Renault Clio design render - front

New Renault Clio to shun electric power and stick with petrol and hybrid options

Renault’s sixth-generation Clio hatchback will get a clean look and hi-tech kit, and our exclusive images show what it could look like
News
12 Feb 2025

Find a car with the experts