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Humanity’s imagination has inspired countless technological achievements. Video calling, cell phones, drones, mechanical limbs and more were first seen in old science fiction films before being fully realized as practical everyday tools.
Another piece of technology made famous by popular movies and TV like Knight Rider, The Fifth Element, Total Recall, iRobot and even beloved The Love Bug is the idea of fully autonomous vehicles. What once seemed like a far-off sci-fi fantasy quickly turned into a reality. Several manufacturers are in various stages of development and experimentation with this technology.
In short, a fully autonomous vehicle is any vehicle equipped with the technology and programming to sense its environment and operate safely without human involvement.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) breaks vehicular automation into six levels. Each level is defined by the human involvement expected or needed for the vehicle to operate safely.
Legal considerations also extend to the levels of vehicle automation—ranging from Level 0 (no automation) to Level 5 (full automation)—with most regulations currently accommodating up to Level 4 (high automation) in specific scenarios.
Yes, autonomous vehicles (AVs) are legal in many parts of the world, but their use and regulation vary widely depending on the country, state or region. In the United States, for example, AV laws differ by state. Some states, like California, Arizona and Texas, have established detailed regulations for testing and operating autonomous vehicles, while others are still developing legal frameworks.
Globally, countries like Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom have also implemented guidelines to oversee the testing and deployment of AVs on public roads. These laws address safety, liability and data privacy concerns while ensuring that the technology develops responsibly.
While fully autonomous vehicles are not part of everyday life yet, many questions are still being asked about the legal ramifications of their existence. Currently, the legal decisions regarding autonomous vehicles lie at the state level. State governments will decide on laws, taxation and implementation processes surrounding these vehicles. This also means that laws could vary from state to state. Some of the questions being discussed are:
This list of legal questions will likely continue to grow as these vehicles undergo testing in various states.
Picture this: You and your friends have just flown into a big city and heard about a really good restaurant downtown. You don't want to miss out, so call for an Uber to pick you up.
When the sleek black SUV arrives, you go to greet the driver but are shocked to find there is none. The vehicle drove itself. You are both fascinated and terrified. You heard about autonomous vehicles being tested in some cities, but this is your first experience, and you are wondering how a vehicle can operate this way.
Fully autonomous vehicles depend on various technologies working harmoniously to stay on the road while prioritizing the safety of all roadway users and property.
In 2018, Drive.ai and the Frisco Transportation Management Association conducted an eight-month trial for an on-demand driverless car service. The self-driving vehicles picked up passengers along a fixed route between Hall Park, The Star and Frisco Station developments. During the eight-month period, the vehicle took roughly 3,000 trips and shuttled over 5,000 passengers. After the trial period, residents were more confident in the driverless technology with many wishing that the vehicle had more destination options. However, many also cited that the technology is still new and would like to see these pilot programs continue in other states.
In 2023, Uber announced a partnership with Waymo, an autonomous driving technology company, to provide driverless Uber to residents of Phoenix, Arizona. By requesting Uber X, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric, passengers could be paired with a driverless vehicle that they could then accept or decline in favor of a human experience. Since its successful adoption in Phoenix, Uber announced similar rollouts for Austin and Atlanta starting in 2025.
Uber partnered with Waymo, which started its driverless program in 2019 and passed a million miles driven by January 2023. In that time, there were only 20 collisions, none of which resulted in a reported injury, nine of which were without vehicular damages, and only two met the criteria for the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration’s Crash Investigation Sampling System database for vehicle collisions.
In 2023, AAA released the results of its annual automated vehicle survey. It showed an increase over the previous years in drivers who are afraid of autonomous vehicles: About 68% of respondents, a jump of 13% over 2022. AAA believes that “automakers must be diligent in creating an environment that promotes the use of more advanced vehicle technology in a secure, reliable, and educational manner.”
AAA believes that automakers and other industry stakeholders can balance the development of this technology. Consumers want to see current vehicle technology that works consistently and performs to the expectations of manufacturers. When this happens, the public will have more confidence in self-driving vehicles and may be more willing to adopt fully automated technology.
What was once pure imagination is steadily becoming reality. With each successful pilot program, trust in fully autonomous vehicles continues to grow. While there are still challenges to overcome, the day is approaching when driving yourself to work, the store or anywhere else may become optional. Instead, you could sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
Driverless vehicles?
Are you nervous about sharing the road with autonomous vehicles? Learn more about what other people think in this article about AAA automotive research.
