The Road to Autonomous Vehicle Adoption

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?