Top Five Dangers of Self-Driving Cars 

Self-driving cars capture attention in Tampa Bay and across Florida. Pilot projects, driverless cars, and driverless taxi concepts promise fewer crashes and less congestion. The technology is advancing fast; however, important safety issues remain. This guide explains the five key dangers that matter for you and your family on Florida roads.

How Do Self-Driving Cars Work?

Self-driving vehicles use cameras, radar, lidar, maps, and onboard computers to perceive the road and plan movements. Software combines the sensor inputs and controls steering, braking, and throttle. The Society of Automotive Engineers defines automation levels from zero through five. 

NHTSA uses these levels in its guidance for Automated Driving Systems and explains the difference between driver assistance and an automated driving system that performs the driving task within a set domain.

The Dangers of Self-Driving Cars

There are potential benefits to self-driving cars. Advanced driver assistance can help prevent some crashes. However, this article focuses on the risks that still exist so you can make informed decisions and protect your rights.

1. Software Glitches and Technical Malfunctions

Self-driving car technology depends on millions of lines of code. Sensors feed the software. The system then predicts what other road users will do and chooses a path. Errors can occur at any step. A misclassified object can trigger sudden braking with no hazard present. Or a faulty prediction can cause an unsafe merge or an incorrect lane change. Additionally, an inaccurate map can place the vehicle too close to a curb or barrier. These are software problems, not bad intentions.

Testing helps but cannot recreate every real world scenario. Federal researchers note that automated driving systems must be evaluated across many edge cases and that the operational design domain limits matter. Even with careful development, rare combinations of weather, lighting, and traffic can expose a blind spot in the code.

What This Means for You

You cannot assume the computer will catch everything. If you ride in or share the road with an automated vehicle, leave space and keep your attention high.

2. Ethical Dilemmas and Unpredictable Situations

Human drivers use judgment when situations become complex. You consider the direction of pedestrians, eye contact, and informal cues. You weigh competing risks in a split second. Programming an automated vehicle to make similar decisions is hard. The system relies on rules and models. In genuine no win scenarios, the machine must still choose an action. That choice will be scrutinized after a crash.

Federal safety agencies frame these problems through the lens of the automated system’s limits and its operating domain. Levels three through five can perform the dynamic driving task only within defined conditions. Outside that domain, the system must return control or reach a minimal risk condition. On city streets, unpredictable behavior by people on foot or bikes can push a system to its edge. Assigning fault can be complex because the automated driving system, when engaged, is deemed the operator of the vehicle under Florida law.

What This Means for You

Expect gray areas. If a crash involves an autonomous vehicle, early legal analysis is critical because liability can involve the owner, the operator, and the company that deployed the automated system.

3. Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities and Hacking

Self-driving cars are connected computers on wheels. Connectivity allows over the air updates, fleet learning, and teleoperation. It also presents a target. A successful cyberattack could disable sensors, inject false data, or take control of functions. A data breach could even expose location history or personal information.

NHTSA publishes vehicle cybersecurity best practices for safety. The guidance urges layered defenses, rapid patching, and incident response plans. The agency also reminds manufacturers that it retains defect and recall authority when cybersecurity weaknesses threaten safety. This remains an evolving area. Public stories about remote intrusion are reminders that attackers look for any weak point in a complex system. 

What This Means for You

Keep your software updated. If you own a vehicle with automated features, install security updates promptly and follow manufacturer instructions. If a cybersecurity flaw contributes to a crash, document the symptoms and preserve the vehicle.

4. Limits in Bad Weather and Unusual Conditions

Automated perception depends on the sensors’ ability to see and on a clean environment. Heavy rain, fog, or glare can reduce camera performance. Snow, mist, and spray can also interfere with lidar and radar returns. Additionally, lens contamination from bugs or road grime can degrade detection. Construction zones and temporary lane shifts also cause trouble because markings are inconsistent and objects are unexpected.

Federal research on automated driving system scenarios and test cases highlights adverse weather, obscured lane lines, and temporary traffic control as challenging conditions. When sensors struggle, the system may misread a sign, miss a pedestrian, or hesitate at an intersection. In those moments, the automated system should hand control back or reach a minimal risk condition. Florida statute requires that an autonomous vehicle be capable of operating in compliance with traffic laws and, if not fully autonomous, that it alert the human operator and achieve a minimal risk condition when needed. 

What This Means for You

Do not overtrust the technology in storms or heavy rain on I-275 or I-75. Increase space and reduce speed. If you operate the vehicle, be ready to take over, even when the system is engaged.

5. System Handoffs and Human Override Challenges

Handovers between computer control and human control are risky. People relax when automation works well. Attention drifts. Reaction time slows. NTSB investigations show that overreliance, distraction, and system limits can combine to cause severe crashes. In the 2018 Uber automated vehicle crash in Tempe, Arizona, investigators found the operator failed to monitor the system and the road. The automated system also failed to classify and react to the pedestrian in time. NTSB then issued safety recommendations that stress robust safety culture and better monitoring. In a separate investigation of a fatal crash involving partial automation, the board highlighted the danger of complacency and system limitations.

Florida law assumes the automated system is the operator when it is engaged. If the system requests a handoff and the person fails to respond, the legal analysis depends on the facts. The more automated the system, the more important it is to understand the vehicle’s instructions and warnings.

What This Means for You

Read the owner’s materials. Know exactly what your system can and cannot do. Keep your hands near the wheel, your eyes on the road, and your mind on the drive.

The Legal Landscape in Florida

Florida leads in allowing autonomous vehicles on public roads. A licensed human operator is not required to operate a fully autonomous vehicle. The automated driving system, when engaged, is deemed the operator for traffic law purposes. Florida also recognizes on demand autonomous vehicle networks. When a fully autonomous vehicle provides a ride on such a network, it must meet specific insurance requirements.

For insurance, Florida requires at least one million dollars in primary liability coverage plus personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage when the vehicle is logged into an on demand autonomous vehicle network or providing a prearranged ride. These rules sit alongside the rest of Florida’s insurance and traffic code. 

If you are involved in a self-driving car accident in Tampa Bay, our team at Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, can evaluate fault, preserve data, and navigate the interplay of driver behavior, software performance, and product issues.

Who Is Liable in a Crash With an Autonomous Vehicle?

Responsibility depends on which system was active, the operational design domain, and how the vehicle performed. Florida law treats the automated driving system as the operator when engaged. That can shift the analysis away from the human occupant and toward the company that deployed the system or the vehicle owner. 

Insurance carried by the owner or by the on demand network may apply. Traditional negligence principles still matter. Florida uses modified comparative negligence, so a person who is more than 50% at fault cannot recover damages. Also, most negligence actions must be filed within two years. Product liability and wrongful death rules may also apply, depending on the facts.

Next Step

Get legal guidance early. Autonomous vehicle cases require prompt work to secure data from the vehicle, the fleet operator, and any third party vendors.

What To Do After a Self-Driving Car Accident in Tampa Bay

• Call 911 and get medical care.
• Photograph the vehicles, roadway, and any construction or temporary signs.
• Note whether the system was engaged and if the mode was displayed on the screen.
• Preserve the vehicle in its post-crash condition and avoid software resets.
• Do not allow the vehicle to be scrapped without a data download.
• Contact a lawyer like Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, who handles complex vehicle technology cases.

Speak with a self-driving car accident lawyer in Tampa today. Our team knows how to secure evidence from automated systems and how Florida law affects liability.

FAQ 

Sources: 

FLA. STAT. § 316.85. (2018). 

Meyer, S. (2023). How do self-driving cars work? 

What Are the Six Levels of Autonomous Driving Technology (n.d.).