When Vehicle Automation Causes Harm

When Mr. Rothschild picked a vehicle, he always went for Volvo, because the company had some of the best safety statistics in the industry. As a retired radiologist who’d seen his fair share of injuries related to auto accidents, he was not ashamed to admit that safety was a priority when he was on the road. So when his XC90 hybrid SUV began to accelerate and the brakes stopped working for about 90 seconds, it was more than a bit of a shock. He managed to steer up a hillside and eventually the brakes kicked in, but not before the airbags deployed and the SUV sustained major damage. It turns out that remote software updates to his vehicle resulted in brake failure.

What is a Remote Update? 

Updates for your vehicle that occur over the air are similar to the types of updates we all receive on our phones these days. The car’s software gets the update wirelessly through a 4G SIM connection, which is often much cheaper and more convenient than having to go to the dealer to take care of it. The updates can support the vehicle’s safety features,(like lane-keeping assist and anti-lock brakes), can introduce new features (such as new apps or improvements to navigation) , can boost engine efficiency, can enhance communication and entertainment features, and more. These updates should occur when your vehicle is safely parked, not when you are driving, because that could result in problems.

Concerns About Updates

The number of remote vehicle repairs across all brands more than doubled to almost seven million in 2024. Because of the complexity of the software in these vehicles, safety advocates have concerns about one system’s repairs impacting the functionality of another system. The range of potential issues with these updates is frightening:

• Limits to bandwidth could make it difficult to ensure large updates are completed successfully. There is a potential for hackers to exploit the weaknesses in the system and gain unauthorized access to various systems.
• Failed updates due to weak connections, software bugs, or an interruption to the process could cause issues with the vehicle.
• There could be issues with compatibility between the update and certain vehicles.
• Standards and regulations differ across different parts of the country and the globe, which could impact compatibility.

Have You Experienced Harm Due to Automation?

Modern vehicles are basically computers that transport us from here to there. As automation becomes more common, accidents related to that automation will rise. If you’ve experienced injury related to vehicle automation, the dedicated and experienced Kissimmee and Orlando personal injury attorneys at Salazar & Kelly Law Group can help. Schedule a confidential consultation today.

Source:

wsj.com/business/autos/a-steep-mountain-drive-a-brake-failure-and-a-volvo-recall-5374b21c