The Future of Autonomous Vehicle Technology as a Public Safety Tool

Abstract

Every year, clever people with wonderfully innovative ideas bring legislation to their state capitols and to Congress. They have great hope that their innovations will make the world a better place. It does not always work out. Often these smart people can be seen standing in the corridor outside meeting rooms whispering to each other anxiously. They have looks of shock and disappointment on their faces, usually just after their bill was unceremoniously disemboweled in a committee hearing. The legislative process necessarily is one of compromise, and few competing interests demand more compromise than those brought to the table by Public Safety and Homeland Security representatives. This Article is a satirical exploration of how autonomous vehicle regulation may unfold in public policy forums over the next few decades. The piece will be perceived as dystopian by some, utopian by others.