Legislation before the Pennsylvania State Senate offers a big door prize to industry but few safeguards to the public.
Pa. Bill Is a Gift to AV Firms
What’s at stake?
Rules of the road for driverless cars are framed, set and promoted by the autonomous-vehicle (AV) industry at the state level. Senate Bill 965, just voted out of the Pennsylvania State Senate’s Transportation Committee, is a prime example. The bill offers blanket authorization for testing and deploying AVs with or without safety drivers, establishing a playbook tech companies can use state by state to advance their agenda. Unintended consequences include exposing local communities to unnecessary safety risks, while leaving thorny liability issues to be settled in costly litigation, a burden that hits low-income populations hardest.