State Regulations Hampering Automated Truck Platooning, Report Says

Inside Unmanned Systems highlights Marc Scribner's study on state regulations on automated vehicle platooning.  

In a new report from the Competitive Enterprise Institute, “Authorizing Automated Vehicle Platooning, A Guide for State Legislators,” author Marc Scribner says there are great cost savings and safety gains from trucking platooning. However, state laws are different across each border—and some stand in the way of quick rollout of autonomous vehicle technology, he said.

Scribner contends there are “a range of uniformed opinions” that hurt the debate on road vehicle automation. These opinions range from popular press stories that autonomous vehicles should be banned because of their threat to public transit and the environment. The other extreme includes implementing the technology by 2018 because it promises safety benefits over traditional driving. Scribner cites Bryant Walker Smith, University of South Carolina law professor, who said that in most U.S. jurisdictions, automated vehicles are not prohibited by current laws. However, he highlighted several potential conflicts in state motor vehicle codes that may preclude certain operations.

Read the full article at Inside Unmanned Systems.