Google’s Self Driving Car Logs 300,000 Accident-free Miles

In 2010, Google announced that they would develop a computer-controlled car which would be much safer, and their efforts paid off. On Monday, Google announced that their self-guided car logged 300,000 miles without one accident.

Simone Thrun, who announced Google’s self-driving car, said in 2010, “According to the World Health Organization, more that 1.2 million lives are lost every year in road traffic accidents. We believe our technology has the potential to cut that number in half.”

Although the number of accident-free miles is high, Google hasn’t stated how many of these miles were logged on public roads. They said they still have a lot of work to do. The car hasn’t been tested in certain conditions which can lead to accidents such as snowy roads or construction zones. The cars are also “occasionally” driven with human assistance.

The aim of the car isn’t just safety; it is also seen as an opportunity to allow people to be more productive on their daily commutes while getting them to their destinations safely. But Google will have to log in more miles before people will feel safe letting a computer drive their cars.

In 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that there were 10.8 million traffic collisions with many resulting in fatalities. Many of these accidents are caused by distracted or impaired drivers and are costly for both the victims and insurance companies.

Since accident victims are saddled with medical bills and repairs costs for no fault of their own, they often turn to accident lawyers to help them recover these costs.