Volvo accepts full liability for its cars in autonomous mode

In a speech scheduled for Thursday night at the House of Sweden in Washington, D.C., President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars Håkan Samuelsson will state that his company will "accept full liability whenever one if its cars is in autonomous mode," according to a Volvo Car Group communications document.

The statement is the first such proclamation from a carmaker and one that will likely open the door for others to make similar assertions. It should be made clear, however, that Volvo will only assume liability in an accident where the autonomous car is the one that messed up. In most cases, that will be up to the courts. However, autonomous cars will be even more capable of avoiding collisions caused by other vehicles, as they monitor a 360-degree view around themselves and can react more quickly than a human ever could. Read more...