Washtenaw County Auto Crashes Increase in 2012

A Michigan State Police report released on March 18, 2013 indicates that auto accidents in Washtenaw County went up by about 3 percent in 2012 compared to the previous year.  There were 10,007 auto accidents in 2012 compared to 9,715 in 2011.  Twenty-three persons died in 22 crashes in the county in 2012.  Despite there being an increase in the total number of crashes, there was actually a decrease in auto accident deaths from the previous year.  There were 35 people in Washtenaw County who lost their lives in 2011 compared to the 23 persons who died in 2012.

The total number of traffic fatalities in the entire state increased by 5 percent in 2012 compared with 2011.   Interestingly, the Michigan State Police report noted that teen fatalities in auto accidents in the state decreased by 14 percent, from 99 in 2011 to 85 in 2012.  Additionally, cell-phone involved accidents decreased 9 percent, from 821 in 2011 to 748 in 2012; however, cell-phone-involved fatal crashes increased from 6 in 2011 to 8 in 2012.  

With the repeal of Michigan's helmet law, it is not surprising that the number of motorcycle deaths increased by 18 percent across the state in 2012.  Pedestrians killed by automobiles decreased 5 percent, from 140 in 2011 to 133 in 2012. 

Michigan Senate Passes Bill That Would Allow Self-Driving Cars on Michigan Roads

In an effort to remain a state leader in the auto industry, the Michigan Senate passed Senate Bill 169 this week that, if the Michigan House also passes the bill, would allow manufacturers to test self-driving cars on Michigan  public roads.  Florida, Nevada, and California have already passed similar laws.  The Michigan Bill requires that a human operator be present in the self-driving car to assume control in case of an emergency.   Governor Synder, during his recent State of the State speech, challenged the Legislature to pass an autonomous driving law to allow Michigan to retain its claim as the "automotive capitol of the world." Legislators believe that this Bill will get some minor tweaking in the House and then be sent to the Governor's desk for signing into law by the end of March. 

Some manufacturers believe that because crash avoidance technology has progressed so rapidly that there could be self-driving cars that will be ready for the public marketplace and public roadways within only a few years rather than being decades away.  If this is true then the Legislators should begin working on new legislation that will decide who becomes liable for damages caused by self-driving cars that do not avoid a crash and injure passengers or occupants of other vehicles. Additionally, the Legislature needs to come up with modifications to the No-Fault law for the division of responsibilities between insurance companies when two or more autonomous vehicles collide due to technical malfunctions or human error in programming the self-driving cars.  Technology experts speak about a future where the slow adopter of technology that still utilizes a human driver could be the most dangerous and unpredictable vehicle on the road.   These slow adopters may have to pay more for insurance just for the privilege of driving his / her own car.  Americans' stubborn independence and love-of-driving may be what slows this future prediction of highways full of autonomous driving vehicles.