Earlier this week, the Eno Center for Transportation issued a new report entitled, “Preparing a Nation for Autonomous Vehicles – Opportunities, Barriers and Policy Recommendations.” The report explores the feasible aspects of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and discusses their potential impacts on the transportation system.
The main conclusions made include:
- Annual economic benefits could be in the range of $25 billion with only 10 percent market penetration. When including broader benefits and high penetration rates, AVs have the potential to save the U.S. economy roughly $450 billion annually.
- Significant barriers to full implementation and mass-market penetration remain. Initial AV technology costs will likely be unaffordable to most Americans and States are currently pursuing their own licensing and testing requirements which may lead to a disparate patchwork of regulations and requirements without federal guidance.
- A framework for AV liability is largely absent, creating uncertainty in the event of a crash. Security concerns should be examined from a regulatory standpoint to protect the traveling public, and privacy issues must be balanced against data uses.
- Policy makers should begin supporting research into how AVs could affect transportation and land use patterns, and how to best alter our transportation system to maximize their benefits while minimizing any negative consequences of the transition to a largely autonomous fleet of motor vehicles.
To download a copy of the report, click here.
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