A GovTech Explainer on Self-Driving Cars

1. Everything you need to know about
Self-Driving Cars

2. Self-driving vehicles, also
referred to as autonomous
vehicles, are motor vehicles that
have the capability of driving
without human intervention.
Self-Driving Cars
What is it?

3. Self-Driving Cars
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) created the
following self-driving classification levels:
How are they classified today?
»

4. Self-Driving Cars
Level 0: Level 1:
»The driver
completely
controls the
vehicle at all
times.
Individual vehicle
controls are automated,
such as electronic
stability control
or automatic braking.

5. Self-Driving Cars
Level 2:
At least two controls can
be automated in unison,
such as adaptive cruise
control in combination with
lane keeping.
WE ARE
HERE

6. Self-Driving Cars
Whats around the corner?
Level 3: The driver can fully cede control of all
safety-critical functions in certain conditions.
The car senses when conditions require the
driver to retake control and provides a
“sufficiently comfortable transition time” for
the driver to do so.
»

7. Self-Driving Cars
Whats around the corner?
Level 4: The vehicle performs all safety-critical
functions for the entire trip, with the driver not
expected to control the vehicle at any time. As
this vehicle would control all functions from start
to stop, including all parking functions, it could
include unoccupied cars.

8. Self-Driving Cars
Impact on Government
Revenues:
Gas-tax, parking fees and speeding ticket
reviews will be significantly reduced.
»

9. Self-Driving Cars
Impact on Government
Planning:
20-year transportation plans and
infrastructures are not be designed for
the impact of self-driving technologies
and will require a revisit to existing plans.
»

10. Self-Driving Cars
Impact on Government
Liability:
Government agencies will be front and
center in the debate on who is at fault when a
computer driving a vehicle makes a mistake.
New regulatory frameworks will need to be
established to deal with physical liabilities
resulting from software issues.

11. Self-Driving Cars
Regulatory Status
Physical Self-Driving Car Regulations
As of 2016, four states (California, Nevada, Florida,
Michigan) and Washington, D.C. allowed the use or
testing of self-driving cars through state legislation.
Many other states across the country are currently
considering the adoption of similar legislation.
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12. Self-Driving Cars
Regulatory Status
Self-Driving Software (Artificial Intelligence)
In February 2016, the National Highway
Transportation & Safety Administration
(NHTSA) classified Google’s AI as a driver
within the United States.

13. Self-Driving Cars
Every major automaker is currently working on self-driving
functionality, starting by embedding sensors in vehicles that
will help usher in full autonomous (Level 4) driving. As with
any emerging technology, there will be a period of rapid
changes and uncertainty as it begins to take hold within
the larger market.
What the future holds

14. Self-Driving Cars
GOVTECH.COM/SELFDRIVING
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