The idea of autonomously driving- or self-driving- cars sounds as if it was drawn right out of a sci-fi thriller for those of us accustomed to more traditionally driven vehicles. However, this has been an emerging technology. Many of us are already aware of the Tesla, which does have Autopilot, which allows for its vehicles to steer, accelerate, and break without action from the driver, as well as other capabilities; however, as was acknowledged to members of Congress by the company, the driver must oversee this: David Shepardson, https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-tells-us-lawmakers-autopilot-requires-constant-monitoring-2022-03-08/. More recently, the company has allowed some of its drivers to experiment with what it calls a Full Self Driving capability, which is a further development on the Autopilot capability, according to Tesla’s website: https://www.tesla.com/en_AE/support/autopilot-and-full-self-driving-capability.
More recently, this attempt to move toward autonomously driving vehicles has expanded beyond personal vehicles. TuSimple, a company based in San Diego, California, has been developing a fully-autonomously driving semi-truck: Scooter Doll, https://electrek.co/2021/12/29/tusimple-successfully-operates-80-mile-autonomous-semi-truck-ride-on-public-roads-without-a-human-present/. In December of 2021, the company successfully carried out an eighty-mile test run of an autonomous semi-truck from Tucson to the Phoenix metro area in Arizona. In fact, it operated solely with the company’s Autonomous Driving System (ADS), and there was no human driver in the cabin, though the test was conducted with Arizona authorities and the company closely monitoring the vehicle. This video was provided by the company, and shows the test actively underway from multiple camera angles:
Is this the future of driving, not only with four-door personal vehicles but with semi-trucks transporting goods across the country? Or would concerns about safety override developments in technology? As the Reuters Business article cited earlier mentions, there have been investigations into Tesla due to accidents with their vehicles while operating with Autopilot. In the very early morning of December 29, 2019, a Tesla operating on Autopilot ran a red light in Los Angeles after exiting a freeway, slamming into a Honda Civic and killing the two people inside it instantly; the driver of the Tesla has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, a felony charge: Jay Barmann, https://sfist.com/2022/01/20/tesla-driver-who-was-behind-wheel-on-autopilot-when-car-killed/. As the article notes, legal experts argue that, given that the driver is ultimately still responsible for the Tesla’s movements given his ability to take control at any moment, he is still responsible for this outcome.
However, this is a case where there is a human physically in the vehicle. If the autonomous semi TuSimple had operated across eighty miles of Arizona had slammed into a car, killing any occupants instantly, how does liability work in that case? What individual can be criminally charged? Or is the company as a whole responsible? And if these semi-trucks begin to be operated by shipping companies, how reliable will they be? Given that the semi-truck is reliant on its ADS to drive and has no human able to directly intervene, what happens if there is a malfunction in any of the instruments it relies upon to make decisions? This would seem to be a technological and legal nightmare waiting to take place.
Beyond this, at least in the case of TuSimple’s semi-truck, there is the question of the economic ramifications. The trucking industry has been reliant upon drivers operating the semi-trucks; indeed, there are many who depend upon their careers in truck driving to make a living and support their families. If semi-trucks begin to be operated autonomously in an economic and safe fashion, this would likely displace an industry of blue-collar workers, with serious consequences for them and their families. As such, the political battle over autonomous driving will no doubt stretch beyond questions of safety and liability, and will by necessity have to address socio-economic concerns as well.
Regarding government policy, the US Department of Transportation in January 2021 released its Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan paper under then Secretary Elaine Chao: https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2021-01/USDOT_AVCP.pdf. In this report, the department established three primary goals regarding the Autonomous Driving System, or ADS: Promote Collaboration and Transparency, Modernize the Regulatory Environment, and Prepare the Transportation System. Ultimately, as stated in the report, the federal government’s approach “is to prioritize safety while preparing for the future of transportation” envisaged.
Current Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has maintained this interest in developing government policy regarding autonomous vehicles. While attending the SXSW 2022 conference during March in Austin, Texas, the secretary was optimistic about the safety of autonomous vehicles relative to human drivers: Deborah Yao, https://www.iotworldtoday.com/2022/03/17/sxsw-2022-transportation-sec-buttigieg-sees-enormous-safety-potential-of-self-driving-vehicles/#:~:text=Transportation%20Secretary%20Pete%20Buttigieg%20sees,2022%20conference%20in%20Austin%2C%20Texas. Whether or not his view will be born out remains to be seen, as fully autonomous vehicles are still experimental; however, incidents such as the LA crash mentioned previously in this article place this view in some doubt.
Also this March, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a landmark rule regarding safety of those in autonomous vehicles: https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/nhtsa-finalizes-first-occupant-protection-safety-standards-vehicles-without-driving. Secretary Buttigieg gave remarks specifically about this new rule. He declared “This new rule is an important step, establishing robust safety standards for ADS-equipped vehicles.” The full written for mis provided here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2022-03/Final-Rule-Occupant-Protection-Amendment-Automated-Vehicles.pdf.