While it’s true fires can occur in any vehicle, when your hybrid or EV’s lithium battery explodes in flames, the fire can be practically impossible to put out. Fortunately, these fires don’t happen often. But that being said, a Houston accident involving a Tesla Model S left two men dead in a fiery crash that made headlines and had Elon Musk grasping for answers.
The Tesla went off the road and collided with a tree. It was assumed that the men were using the driverless autopilot feature since one of them was in the passenger seat while the other was seated in the back. First responders attempted to extinguish the fire, but it kept re-igniting and took several hours and almost 30,000 gallons of water to put out.
Lithium Batteries Have a History of Combusting
It’s a well-known fact that lithium ion batteries have the propensity to explode, and cell phone batteries are no exception. Samsung was forced to recall about one million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones because the phone batteries repeatedly ignited after being overheated.
When people are hurt by lithium battery fires or an out-of-control driverless EV, in a perfect world, first responders would know exactly what to do. But the scary truth is, technology has introduced a new type of danger that some people aren’t sure how to deal with. Cops, firefighters and lawyers all face the same hurdle in learning to deal with these accidents.
The Evolution of Self-Driving Cars
The move toward electric vehicles and hybrids with an autopilot feature has been full of stops and starts, but an advancement was announced when the largest fleet of driverless electronic shuttles hit the road recently. The nine low-speed shuttles provide service for students, faculty and members of the public at the Colorado School of Mines. The shuttles use sensors and lidar for navigation and produce zero emissions. They don’t move fast and therefore present little risk to passengers.
The industry itself is receiving a lot of support from the government, even though a lot of details about operation and safety still need to be worked out. The electric car industry is still in its infancy, so manufacturers and operators are occasionally finding themselves having to pioneer a brand new way of thinking about driving.
The Effect of High-Tech On Driver Experience
Few would dispute that technology improves the experience of driving, and exciting new features surface with each new model year. The industry is growing in leaps and bounds, and hybrid and electric vehicle fans cite the following benefits:
- Cost efficiency
- Fuel efficiency
- Pollution reduction
- Modern appearance that’s aesthetically pleasing
With the rising cost of gas, it’s no wonder so many people are trying to save money by renting a smart car, taking a shuttle, or driving an EV or hybrid. As time goes on, however, more is revealed about the safety of these new types of cars and the accidents they’re involved in can leave even the best legal professionals scratching their heads.
Driverless Technology And The Law
Injury attorneys are tasked with trying to navigate laws surrounding driverless technology that are subject to constant change. And while most of us would probably agree that the convenience of electric vehicles and our beloved smartphones outweigh the risks, it’s important to acknowledge that those risks do indeed exist.