Self-Driving Delivery Cars are Coming

October 6, 2021

The future of transportation has arrived. Self-driving cars are being developed and tested by major companies like Tesla, Uber, and Google. But what about delivery cars? They have the potential to be self-driven as well.

With the technology we already have today, it is possible for a person to order food or another service through an app on their phone that will then be delivered by a driverless car. Imagine never having to worry about traffic again when you're ordering your favorite pizza because they'll just come straight up to your doorstep instead.

However, self-driving cars do present many legal questions, as they can be involved in accidents like any other vehicle.

What are Self-Driving Delivery Cars?

Self-driving cars are able to operate without a human driver. They can sense their surroundings, make decisions based on that data, and navigate the area around them by following predefined instructions. There are several ways in which self-driving vehicles will affect our lives:

However, these tasks have not been fully undertaken yet because there is still much testing needed before we're ready to use this technology with no questions asked.

When Did Self-Driving Delivery Cars Become Popular?

Since 2015, self-driving delivery vehicles have become a hot topic. They are being tested in China by companies like Baidu and Alibaba, where the infrastructure is much more advanced compared to other countries around the world. More and more, different companies have been testing these vehicles in the United States, including large commercial trucks and pizza delivery companies.

Domino's is Testing Their Own Fleet of Self-Driving Delivery Cars

Domino's is testing their own fleet of self-driving delivery cars in Australia, which will be able to deliver pizza straight to your door. They are working with Nuro and currently have several test vehicles being used on the road that operate completely autonomously.

The safety of this technology has yet not been confirmed, so they decided it would be best if these deliveries were done overnight when there was less traffic on the roads after hours as well as fewer pedestrians walking around. However, as these vehicles begin launching for regular commercial use, there will be less oversight and more traffic when they take off to make deliveries.

When Will Self-Driving Delivery Cars Become Prevalent in the U.S.?

Self-driving delivery cars are already being tested in the U.S. but not on a large scale like Australia and China just yet. There have been incidents where self-driving delivery vehicles were involved in accidents, so it is clear that this technology still has some kinks to work out before they can become widespread across the country and around the world.

Contact a Santa Barbara Car Accident Lawyer

Even if self-driving cars are tested and deemed safe, accidents will still happen. Have you been involved in a car accident to no fault of your own? If so, the team at Bamieh & de Smeth, PLC, can help. Please contact us today to receive a free case evaluation.