In a recent San Francisco Examiner article, CEE Professor Susan Shaheen commented on the regulatory environment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) based on the current federal government and state-level policies governing the industry. States are currently adopting different approaches to AV vehicles, with Arizona and California being two of the most prominent autonomous vehicle testing states. The polarity highlights the uncharted path forward for AVs as states and cities attempt to strike a balance between innovation and information.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires collision reports from AV companies and has issued an order on the passenger safety of the vehicles. However, the federal government has largely left the decisions around autonomous vehicles up to the states.
Shaheen says, "that leaves some holes in the regulatory environment. Without technical and safety requirements from the federal government, there is a lack of clarity about how the states relate and how the regions or the locals relate to the specific state policies," she said.
Check out the full SF Examiner article here to learn more about Shaheen's commentary and ongoing regulatory approaches to AVs.