An autonomous vehicle (self-driving car) is a vehicle that can drive itself without human guidance. These vehicles are arriving faster than most people have anticipated. How might we prepare for this major advance in transportation? An important concern about adding Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) is the effect of “driverless” on the industries that hire drivers, as well as the drivers themselves. There are also policy questions about Autonomous Vehicles such as, determining fault in the case of an accident (e.g., passenger, manufacturer, designer). However, a related concern is how other drivers will engage with AVs—there is some concern that other drivers might cut off, chase down, or otherwise aggressively engage with AVs.
Lastly, it may be easy to hack an AV, as they are designed to continuously receive information from other cars and sensors on the road through a “WiFi like” transmission system. Preparing for AVs may also mean rethinking the design of our existing roadways and signage. If AVs can monitor the speed and distance of other AVs, that means that cars can potentially travel at far faster speeds and in very close proximity. Will stop lights be necessary in this not-so-distant future?