This photo, provided by Hyundai Motor Co., shows one of its self-driving cars passing through a toll gate after making a successful self-driving test on the 190-kilometer Seoul-PyeongChang expressway on Feb. 2, 2018.
SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — The government plans to set up an exclusive committee with a specific mission of investigating self-driving car-related accidents.
The committee will be responsible for clarifying who is responsible when self-driving car accidents occur.
The investigation committee, slated to be inaugurated on Oct. 8, would be able to exercise the right of indemnity to the automaker concerned in case accidents occurring due to defects in self-driving vehicles.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on Wednesday that it will issue an administrative notice for 20 days starting from Thursday with respect to the legislative proposal for the establishment and operation of the investigation committee for self-driving car accidents.
The legislative proposal is a follow-up measure to the revision of the Act on Compensation for Car Damages which will take effect on Oct. 8.
Under the legislative proposal, the investigation committee will consist of fewer than 20 experts from various fields, including the automobile and insurance industries.
The secretariat office that will support the investigation committee will be installed within the Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute under the umbrella of the Korea Transportation Safety Authority.
When self-driving car accidents occurs, the insurance companies should notify the investigation committee, which will launch an investigation by securing the black box of the self-driving vehicle.
Even for self-driving car accidents that are not reported to the insurance companies, the investigation committee can launch an investigation if it determines one is needed, or when the ministry requests an investigation.
The legislative proposal would also enable the investigation committee to ask the owner or maker of the self-driving car to submit related data when needed during an investigation.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
