The Road to Autonomous Vehicle Adoption
Date
2019-04
Author
Advisors
Baker, Lee D.
Amato, Kathie
Green, Doug
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Abstract
Nearly a century ago, the introduction of the internal combustion engine car gave
Americans personal autonomy, freedom of choice, and mobility. However, as these vehicles
were further developed, this autonomy came at the cost of congestion, damaging the
environment, and over 37,000 annual road deaths. General Motor’s CEO Mary Barry puts
it plain and simple: we are in the midst of seeing more change in the transportation
industry in the next five years than we’ve seen in the last fifty years. Sooner than
we realize, we may no longer drive or even own a car. We’ll rely on autonomous vehicles
and ride sharing to get us from point A to point B. The shift away from mass car ownership
to shared autonomous vehicles has enormous implications for lives saved, the labor
market, the environment, and personal autonomy, but there will be roadblocks along
the way. The goal of this thesis is to summarize the autonomous vehicle landscape
and make a case for early adoption of this emerging technology. Through four chapters,
I will give a history of automotive regulation and the regulation of innovative technologies.
I will then explore the main implications of widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles.
I will describe the current regulations of autonomous vehicles, particularly looking
at how California, Arizona, and Michigan are going about allowing these vehicles on
the road. Finally, I will make a case for the early adoption of autonomous vehicles.
Should we wait until there is nearly perfect technology or should we introduce them
as soon as possible and reap the benefits of early iteration?
Type
Honors thesisDepartment
Innovation & EntrepreneurshipSubject
Autonomous VehiclesEarly Adoption
Emerging Technologies
Self-Driving Cars
Regulation
Implications
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/18328Citation
Wade, Caroline (2019). The Road to Autonomous Vehicle Adoption. Honors thesis, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/18328.Collections
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