Autonomous Vehicle Regulation: How an Uncertain Legal Landscape May Hit The Brakes on Self-Driving Cars

The automobile was an undeniably transformative invention.It revolutionized nearly every level of modern society, including personal and commercial transportation, national infrastructure, urban design and planning, and even warfare.Cars are arguably responsible for the shape and character of modern industrialized societies.But the enormous social utility of automobiles comes with a surprisingly large societal cost.Every year, more than 30,000 people in the United States die in car accidents. 1 Vehicle emissions take a huge toll on our environment. 2Our cities are, to a large extent, far less walkable. 3Americans now spend an average of forty-two hours stuck in traffic every year. 4 A 2010 report found that traffic accidents