Mercedes - Benz has taken issue with media reports claiming its self - driving cars should prioritise their occupants over pedestrians in the event of an accident . The carmaker said in a statement that the reports were incorrect and that such a practice would be wrong and possibly illegal . Mercedes said that its self - driving cars would aim to uphold the highest possible safety levels for all car users and that the cars were being developed to act in a low - risk way and avoid dangerous situations . When it comes to unavoidable accidents , the company said public hearings were needed to determine ethically acceptable outcomes .
Mercedes-Benz has taken issue with media reports claiming its self-driving cars would prioritise their occupants over pedestrians in the event of an accident. The carmaker said in a statement that the reports were incorrect and that such a decision would be wrong and possibly illegal. Mercedes said that its self-driving cars would aim to uphold the highest possible safety levels for all road users and that the cars were being developed to act in a low-risk way and avoid dangerous situations. When it comes to unavoidable accidents, the company said public discussions were needed to determine ethically acceptable outcomes.