Rana Law Group Newsletter
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In this issue:
- Self-Driving Tech Fails Safety Testing
- Alert: Vehicle Recall Notice
- Continuing Education in Tempe, Arizona
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Self-Driving Camera Tech Fails Safety Testing
We previously wrote about electric cars and the incredible strides in technology introduced with essentially what are now computers that happen to be cars. We stay on top of this technology because, if cars become safe and automated similar to what we saw in the movie I, Robot, we will see much fewer injuries and death on our roads which is better for everyone. Disregarding the current political controversy regarding Tesla, unfortunately, Tesla vehicles specifically may be farther away than we all hoped, however, there is reason to be optimistic.
Tesla’s self-driving technology relies solely on cameras which results in serious safety failings compared to many other car companies that employ an additional pulsed laser technology called LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to compensate for things cameras can miss (for instance, the Waymo in the story below). There is an astounding video of testing done by a former NASA engineer comparing the two technologies. The test used a Wile E. Coyote style painted wall to create a fake background. The Tesla vehicle failed to recognize the fake background and drove straight through without activating any braking.
This scenario may seem far fetched and theoretical, however, the more practical testing failures demonstrated in the video are terrifying because the technology can fail to recognize hazards, which can lead to greater harm. In testing, the Tesla crashed straight into a child dummy that was obscured by fog as well as rain. During the rain test, the car recognized the child in the roadway until the water cannons were turned on, simulating a storm, at which point the dummy ‘disappeared’ completely from the car’s view.
These tests showed the self-driving technology is not quite there yet compared to a human driver. For those using the technology and are tempted to sit back and surf the internet while the car drives, please don’t and keep your eyes on the road!
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Alert: Vehicle Recall Notice
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently announced recalls effecting more than 100,000 vehicles comprised of multiple makes and models. Most of the recalls were issued for transmissions in GM vehicles including Cadillacs and Chevrolets. Land Rover vehicles had recalls for faulty seat belt latches. Not to add insult to injury, but Tesla Cybertrucks (which have been plagued with recalls) are now being recalled due to the side panels falling off the vehicles. Remember you can and should check to see if your specific vehicle is involved in any recall here. |
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Continuing Education in Tempe, Arizona
We handle many cases involving commercial trucking defendants. These cases are much more involved and time-consuming than “regular” motor vehicle collisions because trucking cases involve the potential for greater harm compared to regular, four-wheeled cars and sometimes include federal regulations. With these cases, there is always new case law, technology and defense tactics so the plaintiffs bar gets together to share their collective knowledge so it can better represent injured people.
Tarun recently attended the Academy of Trucking Accident Attorneys Bootcamp in Arizona and he came back energized and with quite a few new tools in his toolbelt to apply to our existing cases. This was Tarun’s first time in Arizona. The benefit of these conferences is they tend to be in exciting locations so there are a lot of opportunities to partake in the local attractions.
Below: Tarun’s breakout group with who he had the opportunity to roleplay depositions and various fact patterns involved in trucking litigation.
Below is the view from the top of a group hike which was more strenuous than Tarun anticipated but it was completely worth it! The icing on the cake was the State Farm building seen in the background. Fortunately, Tarun has been beating up on State Farm to get his clients full and fair compensation.
Tarun also rode in a self-driving Waymo taxi for the first time. It was absolutely wild! These cars use the additional LiDar technology (among other, proprietary technology) to provide a driverless experience. What was fascinating was the car’s ability to recognize people, bikers and other cars, all in real-time. There were two big tests – one was a crosswalk where a pedestrian wanted to go across the street. It recognized the crosswalk and the pedestrian and correctly waited for the person to cross. The second big test was a location where the car had the right of way going straight and two lanes from the left had drivers rolling through stop signs in order to join the main street. Initially, the car moved cautiously, recognizing the drivers were not stopping and yielding as they should. Shortly after though, it moved forward and forced the human drivers to actually commit to their stop. Tarun was convinced the car would be paralyzed by inaction since the human drivers were exploiting the car’s safety directive. He highly recommends trying one out when vacationing, as it was quite the experience but do NOT touch the steering wheel or sit in the driver’s seat. His group got yelled at by a live human voice that said, per the terms of service, we are not to touch anything related to driving. Lesson learned!
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Case Referrals
From time to time, clients call and ask which type of cases we handle. Our practice is built on referrals from satisfied clients. We know that if we work hard and do a good job for our clients, they will tell their friends about us. The best compliment from a former client is that client entrusting us with the potential case of their friend or family. Our office specializes in the following cases:
- Personal Injury (auto collisions, trucking, motorcycle, slip and fall, dog bites)
- Work Injuries
- Traffic tickets and DUI/DWI
If you know someone that meets these criteria, please have them call our office. If someone does not quite fit the above criteria, please still have the prospective referral give us a call as we can usually help the person find the right attorney via a referral.
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| Share the Love – Reviews
Thank you very much to everyone who already left a review, we appreciate it! If you have not left one and have some kind words, we would appreciate the time.
- For Google: simply click on the link.
- For Facebook: please “Like” and “Follow” the page and then click on “Reviews” on the left-hand side
- For Avvo: click on “reviews” and then “Review Tarun Rana”
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