The Malaysian Perspective on Imposing Civil Liabilities in Road Accidents Involving Autonomous Vehicle
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls2021.12.2.9Keywords:
Artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicle, iability, negligence, tortAbstract
The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has become the fundamental catalyst in the research and development of autonomous vehicle (AV). AVs equipped with AI are expected to perform better than humans and forecasted to reduce the number of road accidents. AV will improve humans’ quality of life, such as creating more mobility for the elderly and disabled, increasing productivity, and creating an environmentally friendly system. Despite AV’s promising abilities, reports indicate that AV can go phut, causing road fatalities to the AV user and other road users. The autonomous nature of AV exacerbates the difficulty in determining who is at fault. This article aims to examine the ability of the existing legal framework to identify the person at fault so as to determine the tortious liability in road accidents involving AV. This article demonstrated that the existing legal scheme is insufficient to determine tortious liability in road accidents involving AV. This article explored the possibility of shouldering the liability on the manufacturer, the user, and even on the AV itself. This article also investigated alternative approaches that could be adopted to resolve issues on the distribution of tortious liability in road accidents involving AV. The outcome of this article could contribute to issues relating to the liability of AI.
References
Abbott, R. (2018). The reasonable computer: Disrupting the paradigm of tort liability. The George Washington Law Review, 86(1), 1–45. https://www.gwlr.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/86-Geo.-Wash.-L.-Rev.-1.pdf
Abdul Manap, N., & Abdullah, A. (2020). Regulating artificial intelligence in Malaysia: The two-tier approach. UUMJLS, 11(2), 183–201.
Abduljabbar, R., Dia, H., Liyanage, S., & Bagloee, S. A. (2019). Applications of Artificial Intelligence in transport: An overview. Sustainability, 11(1), 2–24.
Ahamed, S. S. R. (2009). Studying the feasibility and importance of software testing: An analysis. International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 1(3), 119–128. https://www.coursehero.com/file/14809880/10014193/
Anderson, J. M., Kalra, N., Stanley, K. D., Sorensen, P., Samaras, C., & Oluwatola, O. A. (2016). Autonomous vehicle technology: A guide for policymakers (pp. 2–18). Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation).
Azhar, K. (2020, March 2). NAP2020 - Taking Malaysia’s automotive sector to the next level. The Edge Malaysia. https://www. theedgemarkets.com/article/nap-2020-taking-malaysias-automotive-sector-next-level
Bagloee, S. A., Tavana, M., Asadi, M., & Oliver, T. (2016). Autonomous vehicles: Challenges, opportunities, and future implications for transportation policies. Journal of Modern Transportation, Springer, 24(4), 284–303.
Barfield, W. (2018). Liability for autonomous and artificially intelligent robots. Paladyn Journal of Behaviour Robotics, 9, 193–203.
Beiker, S. (2016). Deployment scenarios for vehicles with higher-order automation. In M. Maurer, J. C. Gerdes, B. Lenz, & H. Wenner (Eds.) Autonomous driving: Technical, legal and social aspects. Berlin, Germany: Springer Nature, 194.
Bhargava, V., & Kim T. W. (2017). Autonomous vehicles and moral uncertainty. In P. Lin, R. Jenkins, & K. Abney (Eds.), Robot Ethics 2.0 from autonomous cars to Artificial Intelligence (p. 5). New York, US: Oxford University Press.
Bimbraw, K. (2015, July 21–23). Autonomous cars: Past, present and future - A review of the developments in the last century, and the present scenario and the expected future of autonomous vehicle technology. ICINCO 2015-12th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics. Colmar, France, 191 & 192.
Boudette, N. E. (2016, September 14). Autopilot cited in death of Chinese Tesla driver. The New York Times. https://www. nytimes.com/2016/09/15/business/fatal-tesla-crash-in-china-involved-autopilot-government-tv-says.html Brölmann, C., & Nijman, J. (2017). Legal personality as a fundamental concept of international law. Amsterdam Law School Legal Studies Research Paper. Amsterdam Center for International Law, University of Amsterdam. No. 2016-43, 1.
Chinen, M. A. (2016). The co-evolution of autonomous machines and legal responsibility. Virginia Journal of Law and Technology, 20(2), 338–393.
Chopra, S., & White, L. F. (2011). A legal theory for autonomous artificial agents (pp. 105–134). The University of Michigan, United States of America.
Cooke, J. (2015). Law of tort. Foundation series. (12th edition). Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson.
Daim, N., & Yusof, A. (2020, February 21). New M’sian vehicle project to be implemented under National Automotive Policy 2020. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/ nation/2020/02/567555/new-msian-vehicle-project-be-implemented-under-national-automotive-policy
Diaz, M. M., & Soriguera, F. (2018). Autonomous vehicles: Theoretical and practical challenges. Transportation Research Procedia, 33, 276–282. https://doi.10.1016/j.trpro.2018.10.103
Dun, T. (2018). Digital logic. In Principles of Robotics Artificial Intelligence (p. 99). Grey House Publishing.
Eidenmüller, H. (2017, March 8). Robot’s legal personality. Oxford Law Faculty. https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/research-and-subject-groups/research-collection-law-and-technology/blog/2017/02/ robots’-legal
European Parliament. (2017). Report with recommendations to the Commissions on Civil Law Rules on robotics. A8-0005. European Parliament.
Glazebrook, P. R. (1997). Glanville Williams. The Cambridge Law Journal, 56 (Part 3), 437–465. https://www.cambridge.org/ core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008197300098378
Guizzo, E. (2011, October 18). How Google’s self-driving car works. IEEE Spectrum. https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/ artificial-intelligence/how-google-self-driving-car-works
Google self-driving car caught on video colliding with bus. (2016, March 9). The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/ technology/2016/mar/09/google-self-driving-car-crash-video-accident-bus
Gorzelany, J. (2015, October 9). Volvo will accept liability for its self-driving cars. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ jimgorzelany/2015/10/09/volvo-will-accept-liability-for-its-self-driving-cars/#6fa54a2872c5
Harpwood, V. (2000). Principles of tort law. Cavendish Publishing, 316.
Herrmann, A., Brenner, W., & Stadler, R. (2018). Autonomous driving: How the driverless revolution will change the world (pp. 40, 42, & 47). Emerald Publishing Ltd.
Hevelke, A., & Nida-Rümelin, J. (2015). Responsibility for crashes of autonomous vehicles: An ethical analysis. Science and Engineering Ethics, 21, 619-630.
Holmes Jr., O. W. (2013, August 26). The common law (1881). Lecture III-Torts-Trespass and Negligence, Harvard. https://h2o.law.harvard.edu/text_blocks/951
Hussain, R., & Zeadally, S. (2019). Autonomous cars: Research, issues and future challenges. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 21(2), 1.
Isidore, C. (2015, July 17). Injuries in Google self-driving car accident. CNN Business. https://money.cnn.com/2015/07/17/ autos/google-self-driving-car-injury-accident/
Issitt, M. (2018). Avatars and simulation. Principles of robotics artificial intelligence (p. 25). Grey House Publishing.
Jurgen, R. K. (2013). Autonomous vehicles for safer driving (p. 5). Pennsylvania, USA: SAE International.
Kaplan, J. (2016). Artificial intelligence: What everyone needs to know (pp. 42–42). Oxford University Press.
Korosec, K. (2015, October 8). Volvo CEO: We will accept all liability when our cars are in autonomous mode. Fortune. https://fortune. com/2015/10/07/volvo-liability-self-driving-cars/
Marchant, G. E., & Lindor, R. A. (2012). The coming collision between autonomous vehicles and the liability system. Santa Clara Law Review, 52(4), 1321–1340.
Milakis, D., van Arem, B., & van Wee, B. (2017). Policy and society related implications of automated driving: A review of literature and directions for future research. Intelligent Transportation Systems, 1–25. Ministry of Transport Malaysia Official Portal, Road Safety Plan. (2021–2030). https://www.mot.gov.my/en/land/safety/road-safety-plan-2021-2030
MITI. (2020). National Automotive Policy 2020 Booklet. Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia. ISBN 978-967-13593-8-9:40.
National Transportation Safety Board. (2016, July 26). Preliminary Report, Highway HWY16FH018N’, Executive Summary. https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/ HWY16FH018-preliminary.aspx
Noyes, D. (2018, March 29). I TEAM EXCLUSIVE: Victim who died in Tesla crash had complained about Autopilot. abc7 News. https://abc7news.com/automotive/i-team-exclusive-victim-who-died-in-tesla-crash-had-complained-about-autopilot/3275600/
Pagallo, U. (2018). Vital, Sophia, and Co. - The quest for the legal personhood of robots. MDPI Journal, 9 (230), 8–10, 123–126.
Pagallo, U. (2013). The laws of robots: Crimes, contracts and torts. Law Governance and Technology Series (Vol. 10, pp. 120–125). Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg.
Pande, V. (2018, April 25). Artificial intelligence’s ‘black box’ is nothing to fear’. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes. com/2018/01/25/opinion/artificial-intelligence-black-box.html
Peter, C. (1994). The changing fortunes of Rylands v Fletcher. University of West Australia Law Review, 24, 237–246.
Petit, N. (2017). Law and regulation of artificial intelligence and robots: Conceptual Framework and Normative Implications. SSRN. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2931339
PM to launch new National Automotive Policy on Feb 21. (2020, 13 February). The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/business/ business-news/2020/02/13/pm-to-launch-new-national-automotive-policy-on-feb-21
Sandbox Inovasi & Teknologi Nasional. (2020). https://sandbox.gov. my/#Introduction.
Sarani, R., Rahim, S. A. S. M., Marjan, J. M., & Voon, W. S. (2012). Predicting Malaysian road fatalities for year 2020. MIROS, 23.
Savov, V. (2018, October 4). Peugeot’s e-legend concept is a muscle car for the electric age. The Verge. https://www.theverge. com/2018/10/4/17914540/peugeot-electric-concept-car-e-legend-design-photos-paris-motor-show-2018
Scherer, M. U. (2016). Regulating artificial intelligence systems: Risks, challenges, competencies and strategies. Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, 29(2), 354–400.
Silverman C., Wilson, J., & Goggans, S. (2018). Torts of the future II: Addressing the liability and regulatory implications of emerging technologies. US Chamber Institute of Legal Reform, 10–16.
Sivanandam, H. (February 11, 2021). National road safety plan credited with reducing fatalities. The Star. https://www.thestar. com.my/news/nation/2021/02/11/national-road-safety-plan-credited-with-reducing-fatalities
Sivanandam, H. (August 19, 2020). Six pilot projects identified as part of national technology and innovation sandbox. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/08/19/six-pilot-projects-identified-as-part-of-national-technology-and-innovation-sandbox
Kementerian Dalam Negeri. (2020, May 4). Statistik kemalangan jalan raya mengikut jenis kemalangan dan kecederaan bagi tahun 2011–2019. https://www.data.gov.my/data/ms_MY/dataset/ statistik-kemalangan-jalan-raya-mengikut-jenis-kemalangan-dan-kecederaan
Stefan T., Kolarova, V., Fraedrich. E., Kröger, L., Kickhöfer, B., Kuhnimhof, T., Lenz, B., & Phelps, P. (2016). Autonomous driving - the impact of vehicle automation on mobility behaviour. Institute for Mobility Research BMW Group, 3.
Sulaiman, R. W. (2018). Artificial intelligence based autonomous car. SSRN. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_ id=3167638
Sullivan, H. R., & Schweikart, S. J. (2019). Are current tort liability doctrines adequate for addressing injury causes by AI? AMA Journal of Ethics, 21(2), 160–166. https://doi.org/10.1001/ amajethics.2019.160 Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J3016. (June, 2018). Taxonomy and definitions for terms related to driving automation systems for on-road motor vehicles. SAE International, 28.
Taeihagh, A., & Lim H. S. M. (2019). Governing autonomous vehicles: emerging responses for safety, liability, privacy, cybersecurity and industry risks. Transport Reviews, 39(1), 103–128. Tesla car that crashed and killed driver was running on Autopilot, firm says. (2018, March 31). The Guardian. https://www. theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/31/tesla-car-crash-autopilot-mountain-view
Trubia, S., & Whitson, G. M. (2017). Automated vehicle: A review of road safety implications as driver of change. 27th CARSP Conference, Toronto.
Turner, J. (2019). Robot rules: Regulating artificial intelligence. Palgrave Macmillan.
Vladeck, D. C. (2014). Machines without principals: Liability rules and artificial intelligence. Washington Law Review, 89, 148.
Wakabayashi, D. (2018, March 19). Self-driving Uber car kills pedestrian in Arizona, Where robots roam. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/technology/uber-driverless-fatality.html
Watson, A. (1998). The digest of Justinian. Philadelphia, USA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Weng, Y. H., Sugahara, Y., Hashimoto, K., & Takanishi, A. (2015). Intersection of ‘tokku’ special zone, robots, and the law: A case study on legal impacts to humanoid robots. International Journal of Social Robotics, 7(5), 841–857.
Whitson, G. M. (2018). Augmented reality in principles of robotics artificial intelligence (p. 14). Grey House Publishing.
Yu, H., Li, X., Murray, R. M., Ramesh, S., & Tomlin C. J. (2019). Safe, autonomous and intelligent vehicles (pp. 1 & 6). Springer Nature Switzerland.
Published
Issue
Section
How to Cite
Research impact
Harvested 2026-09-07Counts differ between services because each indexes a different body of literature. None of them is the whole picture.
