How Local Governments Can Plan for Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous vehicles have the potential to change all aspects of mobility—from driver safety and insurance liability to car ownership and how Americans commute. It has the potential to disrupt both public and private transportation as we know it. As Google
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Abstract Autonomous vehicles have the potential to change all aspects of mobility—from driver safety and insurance liability to car ownership and how Americans commute. It has the potential to disrupt both public and private transportation as we know it. As Google, Uber, the automobile industry, and other organizations continue to make rapid technological advances, it is vital that federal, state, and local governments establish policies, laws and regulations that account for these disruptions. Of utmost importance is finding a balance between guarding public safety while regulating insurance/liability and still encouraging investment in research and development of autonomous vehicles. Most research papers and news reports regarding autonomous vehicles focus on the technological advancement or implications for society (e.g., improved safety and greater mobility for the elderly and disabled people). Many articles cite the importance of government regulation; however, very few provide targeted guidance on how government agencies should respond. The intent of this paper is to outline the role of government in autonomous vehicles and present information local and regional governments need to inform planning and decision-making—both now and in the future.
Keywords Driverless cars Autonomous Self-driving Vehicles Government Regulation Open data Policy Privacy Security Transportation Planning
1 Proposed Government Role in Autonomous Vehicles The following section describes the aspects of autonomous vehicles that will likely require government involvement now or in the future. As shown in the graphic below, the federal government will likely need to update, establish, and enforce policies and regulations around safety, privacy/data sharing, and cyber security, in L. Isaac (&) WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff, 425 Market Street, Suite 1700 San Francisco, CA 94105, USA e-mail: [email protected] © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 G. Meyer and S. Beiker (eds.), Road Vehicle Automation 3, Lecture Notes in Mobility, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-40503-2_6
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addition to establishing and enforcing standards. On the other hand, state and local governments will need to update, establish, and enforce policies and plans around mobility, infrastructure, transit, and financials (Fig. 1). This maintains the government’s role of protecting individuals’ safety and improving mobility around the country.
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Proposed Federal Government Role in Autonomous Vehicles
It is crucial that the federal government proactively establishes policies and regulations for autonomous vehicles to ensure that passengers and bystanders are safe, but also because it is inefficient, costly, and confusing for all stakeholders to familiarize themselves with multiple, disparate state laws. The following are a range of issues that are most appropriately addressed at the national level: • Safety The federal government should lead the charge in establishing (or updating existing) safety standards for autonomous vehi
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