Volume 16, Issue 2 (Spring 2015)
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Browsing Volume 16, Issue 2 (Spring 2015) by Author "Douma, Frank"
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Item The SDVs Are Coming! An Examination of Minnesota Laws in Preparation for Self-Driving Vehicles(Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology, 2015) Peck, Spencer; Fatehi, Leili; Douma, Frank; Lari, AdeelSelf-driving vehicles (SDVs) are predicted to be the future of automotive transportation. The significant potential benefits of SDVs to safety, congestion reduction, land use, and productivity are hard to ignore. Although fully automated vehicles are still a ways away, the technology is rapidly advancing and becoming more legally accepted. For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires all newly manufactured cars to have at least a low-level of autonomous vehicle technology and suggests widespread adoption of more advanced technology by 2020. Four states and the District of Columbia have some form of legislation expressly allowing SDVs or the testing of such vehicles within state boundaries. In fact, two states—California and Nevada—have even issued comprehensive regulations for both private use and testing of SDVs. Several companies, most notably Google, are aggressively pursuing the technology and advocating for legal changes in support of SDVs. But what does this all mean for Minnesota drivers, laws and lawmakers, and local economies? This Article explores the development of SDVs and related technology and how states have responded to this development as context for more substantive discussion about why and how Minnesota might move to adopt and adapt to this transformative technology. Specifically, this Article will explore how current laws may already permit SDVs and how the law could be, or in some cases must be, modified to authorize testing and use of SDVs in the state. Finally, this Article will describe why SDVs and the related legal changes needed to support their development and adoption can greatly benefit Minnesota’s citizens and economy.Item Self-Driving Vehicles and Policy Implications: Current Status of Autonomous Vehicle Development and Minnesota Policy Implications(Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology, 2015) Lari, Adeel; Douma, Frank; Onyiah, IfyWhether you call them self-driving, driverless, automated, or autonomous, these vehicles are on the move. Recent announcements by Google (which drove over 500,000 miles on its original prototype vehicles) and other major automakers indicate the potential for development in this area. Driverless cars are often discussed as “disruptive technology” with the ability to transform transportation infrastructure, expand access, and deliver benefits to a variety of users. Some observers estimate limited availability of driverless cars by 2020, with wide availability to the public by 2040. This Article includes examination of the current status of this technology, and the implications for road safety, capacity, travel behavior, and cost. This Article also considers the regulatory framework and policy challenges this technology may face. In particular, this Article presents a Minnesota perspective. As the Minnesota Department of Transportation implements the Twenty-Year Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan and establishes priorities for the next several decades, state officials need information about the potential for this technology to transform Minnesota’s transportation system. The Metropolitan Council also needs to pay serious attention, as self-driving cars can potentially change the way we live and travel within the Council’s planning horizon. Additionally, Minnesota policymakers will need to consider whether current policy accommodates the deployment of this driverless technology. Finally, this Article summarizes the current consensus about self-driving vehicles, considers the implications for Minnesota, and suggests steps that policymakers in Minnesota can take to prepare for such technology.