State Automated Vehicle Policy: Is it Keeping up with Technology?

Automated vehicle technologies have rapidly developed in the last decade, and fully driverless vehicles are highly anticipated to disrupt the transportation system. Despite recent development, the federal government has failed to implement policies in the transition from human-driven transportation, and automated drivers. In the absence of federal leadership, states have taken on the role of regulating and incentivizing the use of automated technologies. Using the state legislation database from the National Conference of State Legislatures, we categorize the bills legislatures are considering and enacting. We’ve also categorized which steps need to be taken to begin enacting legislation on automated vehicles to ensure that they are safe, and beneficial to society in terms of congestion, emissions, and accessibility.