January 14, 2019 – The most critical driver for consumers’ adoption of autonomous vehicles, above technological advancement and adequate investment, is coherent national regulation amid consumer safety concerns. That’s according to a new survey of automotive and technology leaders and state and federal regulators by global law firm Perkins Coie LLP and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the world’s largest nonprofit organization devoted to advancing the unmanned systems and robotics community.
Those surveyed clearly see the potential to increase convenience and reduce traffic incidents that stem from further development of autonomous vehicle technology. And while survey respondents are focused firmly on consumers’ perceptions regarding safety, no clear majority of respondents agree on which regulatory authority should be responsible for overseeing liability issues amid the current patchwork of federal, state and local rules.
Liability concerns ranked first among the challenges that industry leaders and regulators believe could impede the driverless-car market, just slightly ahead of consumers’ safety perceptions. Respondents also see an urgent need for infrastructure, such as smart signs, traffic lights and merge lanes, to make roads shared by fully autonomous, semi-autonomous and traditional cars safe for everyone.
With the market for driverless cars projected to grow to as large as $7 trillion by 2050, respondents see multiple investment opportunities as equally attractive and urgent. Vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication technology, 5G technology and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems were seen as the most enticing investments, followed closely by precision mapping and location technology.
“This survey shows a young industry with tremendous potential and understandable growing pains as technology shapes the future of transportation,” said Brian Wynne, President and CEO of AUVSI. “Lawmakers, consumers and regulators alike should embrace the advantages of the future AV era as we work to resolve early-cycle challenges in the years ahead.
A majority – 54 percent – of industry respondents said they would rather see regulation come from the federal level. This reflects the difficulty automakers anticipate in achieving widespread adoption of AVs without a broad and coherent regulatory framework.
All survey respondents – technology and automotive executives as well as regulators – saw the possibility of reducing vehicle accidents as the most important benefit of AVs. More survey respondents selected reduced traffic accidents as the greatest benefit to consumers than all other options combined.
Respondents believe the price of investment, behind safety concerns, is one of the top obstacles to the growth of the AV industry with those in technology fields considering investment costs the most worrisome obstacle.
To view the complete Perkins Coie and AUVSI 2018 Autonomous Vehicle Survey report, please visit: www.perkinscoie.com/AVSurvey2019.
With more than 1,000 lawyers in 19 offices across the United States and in Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei, Perkins Coie represents great companies across a wide range of industries and stages of growth. Using our deep knowledge of technology and transportation markets, we represent companies operating in the connected and autonomous vehicle space, including companies focused on non-traditional transportation solutions, electric vehicles, self-driving cars and the sharing economy. We also partner with and strategically advise industry players, including those in IoT automation, on a wide spectrum of legal issues. Our clients include established technology companies, original equipment manufacturers and Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, as well as emerging growth and startup companies in the autonomous vehicle industry.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics, represents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets.