자율주행자동차와 관련된 책임법제와 보험제도에 대한 고찰

A study on the liability legal system and insurance system concerning autonomous vehicles

국토교통부는2020년3단계자율주행자동차상용화를목표로, 2017. 3. 31. “자율주행자동차의안전운행요건및시험운행등에관한규정”을개정하여자동차손해배상보장법의적용및자동차보험의무가입을규정하였다. 3단계자율주행자동차의경우에는, 자동차손해배상보장법에 의해 규율하는 것이 법리상 가능하고 피해자 보호를 위한 입법취지에 부합한다. 다만, 제조사에 대한구상을위해, 자율주행프로그램을제조물책임법상 제조물의 정의에 포함시키고, 제조물 자체의 결함에 대하여도 입증책임 완화 내지 전환의 법리를 적용하며, 자율주행프로그램에 의한 주행시 발생한 사고에 대하여는 제조물의 결함을 추정하는 근거 규정을 마련하여야 한다. 자동차손해배상보장법과 자동차보험 약관의 정비를 통하여, 자동차보험사와 자동차 제조사간 구상 절차를 마련하여 둘 필요도 있다. 같은 취지에서, 자동차보험이제조물배상책임보다자율주행자동차교통사고로인한피해자보상에있어더 적절하고 효율적이다. 다만, 자율주행프로그램에 따라 자동차가 운행되고 있는 동안에 발생한사고에서는, 운전자를타인으로보아보상하거나, 제조사에전부구상하는내용으로약관 개정이 필요하다. 제조사로 하여금자율주행자동차 출고시 강제적으로제조물책임보험에 가입하도록 하는 제도도 시행되어야 할 것이다.

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport(MOLIT) revised the “Act on Autonomous Vehicles Driving Safety Requirements and Trial Operations”on 31 March 2017, which there is a mandatory obligation to being applied of Automobile Compensation Guarantee Act and obtain Car insurance, aiming for the commercial use of 3rd stage autonomous vehicles in 2020. The 3rd stage autonomous vehicles could be regulated under the Automobile Compensation Guarantee Act, and further in accordance with its legislative purpose to protect victims. However, providing for the right of recourse against car manufacture, the autonomous driving program is necessary to be included in the definition of “products”, legal rules such as “relief of responsibility for proof” or “shift the burden of proof”shall be applied to the defects of products themselves, and the defect detection provision for accidents during autonomous driving have to be established, on Product Liability Act. It is also necessary to prepare procedures of recourse between the car insurance company and the car manufacturer, through amendments to the Automobile Compensation Guarantee Act or the Terms of Car Insurance. For the same reason, Car insurance is more appropriate and effective in compensating victims of autonomous vehicles accidents than Product liability insurance. However, it is necessary to revise the terms of Car insurance to compensate the driver as a third party or to claim full recourse against the manufacturer, for accidents during autonomous driving. It is also necessary for car manufacturers to compulsorily purchase Product liability insurance when they release autonomous vehicles.