Facing unavoidable dilemma situations involve complex ethical decisions (Di Fabio at al., 2017). The right balance between safety, ethics and legal considerations is important for the mass acceptance of automated vehicles. The governing principles of unavoidable dilemma situations are first of all to prevent these situation whenever it is possible, the prevention of personal injury shall take always precedence over the prevention of property damage, and the impermessibility of distinction between individuals based on personal features.
Note: The classical trolley problem is a theoretical situation which, in reality, is not very likely to occur. However, it provides the necessary topic to be discussed for the development of an automated driving system.
Main Question
Does the ADF development considers unavoidable dilemma scenarios?
Sub-Questions
- Does the ADF implement sufficiently defensive and anticipatory driving strategy?
- Do the ADF’s tests prove the capability to address the unavoidable dilemma situations in a way that minimizes the likelihood of these situations arising in the first place?
- Do the ADF’s tests prove to give priority to the protection of human life versus protection of goods or properties?
- Do the ADF’s tests prove the system was developed in a way that targets to minimize all human injuries in a critical situation disregarding personal features of involved actors?
References
- Di Fabio, U., Broy, M., Brüngger, R.J., Eichhorn, U. and Grunwald, A. (2017). Ethics commission automated and connected driving. Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1.