Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/993011
28 commercial carrier journal | june 2018 REAL WORLD IMPLICATIONS OF DRIVERLESS VEHICLES (Part I) T here are three main areas in which Autonomous Vehicles will have a profound impact: liability, traffic enforcement and safety. Because neither the states nor the federal govern- ment have a legal framework in place that addresses who would be responsible in an accident involving a fully autonomous vehicle, some of the leading players in the field have said they would accept liability when their cars are at fault. It seems that the first thing that would be required is for these parties to determine if their vehicle is at fault. Even if the manufacturers accept liability I am reluctant to think they will imme- diately rush out to write a check. Based on the existing laws in most states, the re- sponsibility will initially reside with the owner/operator of the vehicle. That party must implead the manufac- turer into any legal action. If the manufacturer agrees that they may be liable, everything will go smooth- ly. However, since accidents involving commercial vehicles normally have a high price tag, manufacturers may be more hesitant to just write a check. If the manufacturer denies liability, the owner can sue the manufacturer under a theory of products liabil- ity. The owner will try to show that the accident arose from the manufacturer's negligence, a design defect, manufacturing defect, failure to warn about an issue or breach of implied warranty. This could open up a whole new group of defendants as the manufacturer may go after the computer programmers, computer companies, designers of the algorithms, mapping companies, etc. responsible for the software. In addition, several states have no-fault liability laws. This means that in non-serious accidents (as defined by each state's statute) each party's own insurance will pay the injured party regardless of fault. Will the manufacturers still be willing to write a check in a no-fault state regardless of whether their vehicle was at fault? This is a question that will only be answered in practice. SPONSORED INFORMATION DLP.indd 1 5/15/18 1:46 PM airflow through the sleeping quarters. Built on a 2.1-meter cab platform, the UltraLoft's bunk mattresses are the largest available — 85 by 42 inches on the lower bunk and 82 by 36 on the upper that is capable of supporting 400 pounds. Both bunks feature ample headroom, with 48 inches for the lower and 39 for the top. There's plenty of headroom in the lower bunk to sit up and work on a laptop without smashing your head on the upper bunk. Wesley Slavin, Peterbilt's on-highway market segment manager, says many fleets are opting to spec the double bunk even if they don't plan to run a team. "That's mostly due to their resale value, and having that extra bunk does give you a little added flexibility," he says. Working and eating in the bunk is easy thanks to a slide-out table on the driver's side and 12-volt, 110-volt and USB power ports in a panel behind the driver's seat. A similar panel is installed in the upper bunk. With 2,000 units already on order, the UltraLoft is well on its way to being the on-highway long-haul champi- on for the Model 579. Slavin says there are no plans to discontinue any of the discrete options that are suited for fleets that change out sleepers as they trade trucks or for applications where flattop sleepers are more prevalent, such as flatbed and bulk haul. The overall experience in the sleeper is a comfortable one. It's easy to move around, stand and work in what is ordinarily a confined space. I wouldn't be surprised to see applications that general- ly spec the 72-inch sleeper migrating toward the 80-inch UltraLoft, assuming they're willing to take on the added wheelbase. The extra 8 inches of sleeper depth feels like a lot more, thanks to all the extra headroom that comes with it. Production of the UltraLoft is set to begin in July. Working in the bunk is easy thanks to a slide-out table on the driver's side and 12- volt, 110-volt and USB power ports in a pan- el behind the driver's seat.