自動駕駛車輛風險分配與交通事故受害人之保障：商品責任與汽車責任保險之因應與變革

Risk Allocation in Autonomous Vehicles and Protection of Automobile Accident Victims: Challenges and Reform in Product Liability and Automobile Liability Insurance

由於自動駕駛車輛所涉及之高度複雜性與風險難以預測，因此各國間莫不對於自動駕駛車輛所衍生新型態風險，重新檢視現有侵權行為與保險制度是否足以因應此一難題。如單就商品責任與損害賠償作為自動駕駛車輛所致交通事故受害人之請求途徑，參就美國、歐盟、日本以及我國商品責任發展之脈絡與障礙，顯然就舉證責任以及企業經營者所涉及符合「當時科技或專業水準可合理期待之安全性」等抗辯帶來之障礙，將使受害人不易請求。
本文則認為在現有強制汽車責任保險提供受害人一定額度之基本保障下，如涉及高度自動駕駛車輛造成交通意外事故時，亦應將駕駛人涵蓋為保障對象，但此時之投保義務人與保險費之負擔者仍宜由自動駕駛車輛製造商或經銷商（車輛進口商）等企業經營者較為適宜，並藉由車輛安全等級差異而酌定保險費。或有慮及自動駕駛車輛製造商等企業經營者有無負擔過重而影響其提升安全性意願等問題，但就現有強制汽車責任保險費之負擔數額，加上企業經營者得透過訂價方式轉移成本，又自動駕駛車輛本即以大幅提升道路交通安全為目的，將來執行實施，除安全性分類與費率差異化之外，應無顯著窒礙難行之處。

With the complex technology and unforeseeable risks arising from autonomous vehicles, reforms and proposals for the current legal regimes concerning torts and insurance mechanisms have been developed in several jurisdictions. This has raised serious debates and challenges if we apply the liability based on product-defects for road victims. While we analyze the current developments of product liability in the U.S., European Union and Japan, the burden of proving the existence of product-defect will be extremely difficult and cost-prohibitive due to the expert testimony issues concerning the complexity of the technology. Furthermore, the state-of-the-art defense in design defect and warning defect claims will be the major challenge for the plaintiffs. Although the technological advances of autonomous vehicles may reduce the possibility of road accident, current technological and scientific limits may potentially increase the unforeseeable and unavoidable risks.
Taking account with the current liability insurance regime for the road victims, it is suggested that the traditional drivers and auto holders should also be considered and have the same level of protection as other road victims in the autonomous vehicles. The financial burden of insurance premiums should be partially allocated to the autonomous vehicle manufacturers. It is argued that the strict liability may hinder the technological development in autonomous vehicles. Balancing the risks and the viability of protection of road victims, this work suggests that the current automobile liability insurance regime combining the risk differentiation of autonomous vehicles will provide the basic compensation for the victims of accidents involving autonomous vehicles.