RAND >

Autonomous Vehicles

Cybersecurity
commentary
Ensuring Cybersecurity Is Vital for a Driverless Future
Erik Silfversten, Nathan Ryan
Feb 12, 2018
Public Technology
High-profile accidents involving autonomous vehicles (AVs) have led to recent discussions about the physical safety of people. However, it could be argued that consumers and manufacturers should be equally, if not more, concerned about the potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities in AVs.
Read More »

Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
Autonomous Vehicles: Terrorist Threat or Security Opportunity?
James Black
Jan 3, 2018
The Cipher Brief
Terrorist groups that track developments in technology could be considering using self-driving cars in place of suicide bombers or for ramming attacks. But autonomous vehicle capabilities offer a range of potential benefits to law enforcement and security operations, too.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
Driverless Cars: The Race Is On for Policy to Catch Up
Charlene Rohr
Nov 27, 2017
The Huffington Post
Driverless cars could be tested on Britain’s roads by 2021. While this is likely to be great news to many, the race is now on for policymaking to catch up. Why? Because driverless cars could substantially change more than just the way people travel.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
article
Why Waiting for Perfect Autonomous Vehicles May Cost Lives
Nov 7, 2017
Some people think autonomous vehicles must be flawless before humans take their hands off the wheel. But putting AVs on the road before they're perfect improves the technology more quickly—and could save hundreds of thousands of lives over time.
Read More »
Artificial Intelligence
commentary
AI's Promise and Risks
Marjory S. Blumenthal @marjorysb, Andrew Parasiliti @ATParasiliti, Ali Wyne @Ali_Wyne
Oct 24, 2017
TechCrunch
Artificial intelligence seems to be advancing faster than efforts to understand its potential consequences, good and bad. And discussions about AI often veer toward extremes. More balanced, rigorous analysis is needed to help shape policies that mitigate AI's risks and maximize its benefits.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
What Autonomous Vehicles Could Mean for American Workers
Nidhi Kalra @FollowNidhi
Aug 29, 2017
The RAND Blog
Autonomous vehicles are projected to hit American roads within the next few years. They promise safer transportation, greater mobility for millions of Americans, and other benefits. But they will also have enormous impacts on the workforce.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
How California Is Trying to Keep Autonomous Vehicle Development on Track
Nidhi Kalra @FollowNidhi
Apr 10, 2017
TechCrunch
California's Department of Motor Vehicles recently proposed new regulations governing the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles. Will this help retain the state's status as a testing and deployment ground for the technology, and will it make California safer?
Read More »
San Francisco
q&a
Innovation in the Bay Area: Q&A with Nidhi Kalra
Mar 7, 2017
Nidhi Kalra discusses what Silicon Valley startups and policy researchers have in common, whether test-driving autonomous vehicles could really prove their safety, and more.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
q&a
Autonomous Vehicles: Imagining the Day-to-Day of the Future
Nov 14, 2016
At RAND's 2016 Politics Aside event, Nidhi Kalra and Timothy Bonds discuss what daily life might be like once autonomous vehicles populate the roads.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
q&a
Driving to Safety: Autonomous Vehicle Questions, Answered
Nidhi Kalra @FollowNidhi, Susan M. Paddock
Oct 25, 2016
The RAND Blog
A recent RAND report found that test-driving autonomous vehicles is not a feasible way to determine when they will be safe enough for consumer use. This resulted in a lot of questions.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
The Brains Behind Autonomous Vehicles May Need a License to Drive
Isaac R. Porche III @IsaacPorche
Sep 27, 2016
VentureBeat
Autonomous vehicles require exquisite software. To make this software secure, industry and government should consider educational standards and licensure requirements for the engineers who create it.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
When Will We Know Self-Driving Cars Are Safe?
Nidhi Kalra @FollowNidhi
Sep 25, 2016
Newsweek
Will autonomous vehicles be safe before they are allowed on the road for consumer use? Maybe. And that might be the best that can be said.
Read More »
United States
blog
A Summer Reading List for Congress
Aug 2, 2016
To help Hill staffers make the most of the Congressional recess, RAND has developed a list of must-read research and commentaries that will help ensure policymakers will return ready to hit the ground running.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
Tesla Fatal Crash Reminds That Human Interface Remains Important
Shawn McKay
Jul 30, 2016
The Mercury News
The first reported fatality in a self-driving vehicle is a chilling reminder that the evolving relationship with increasingly robotic motor vehicles needs to be a partnership, an undertaking with humans and machines managing the risks.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
Fatal Crash Shouldn't Kill Self-Driving Cars
Nidhi Kalra @FollowNidhi
Jul 16, 2016
USA Today
The first known fatality in an autonomous vehicle occurred on May 7 and raises important questions. It does not, however, mean that self-driving cars are less safe than human drivers or that development of the technology should be stopped.
Read More »
Transportation Planning
commentary
Looking Out the Window to Transport in 2035
Charlene Rohr
Jun 27, 2016
The RAND Blog
The UK's roads, railways, and airports are some of the most congested in the world. Exploring future transport scenarios and the technologies that will drive them can help guide today's policy and investment decisions.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
Why It's Nearly Impossible to Prove Self-Driving Cars' Safety Without a New Approach
Nidhi Kalra @FollowNidhi
May 12, 2016
Dallas Morning News
There are arguments to be made for permitting driverless cars in some capacity even if they are not quite as safe as human drivers, because doing so may enable developers to improve them faster, and thus save more lives overall.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
The Police Could Be Controlling Your Self-Driving Car
Martin C. Libicki
Apr 4, 2016
MarketWatch
As self-driving cars become widespread, one of the biggest issues will be the rules under which public infrastructures and public safety officers may be empowered to override how autonomous vehicles are controlled.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
With Driverless Cars, How Safe Is Safe Enough?
Nidhi Kalra @FollowNidhi
Feb 1, 2016
USA Today
Waiting for autonomous vehicles to operate perfectly misses opportunities to save lives by keeping far-from-perfect human drivers behind the wheel.
Read More »
Emerging Technologies
essay
How Will Technology Change Criminal Justice?
Jan 7, 2016
In perhaps no other field does society have as direct a stake in getting technology right as in policing. How will technology change the work that law enforcement agencies do and the communities they serve?
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
To Hit the Road, Driverless Cars Must Be Safe, Not Perfect
Nidhi Kalra @FollowNidhi
Jan 29, 2015
The New York Times
Once driverless cars are safer than the average human driver, they should be allowed to hit the road. Indeed, waiting for autonomous vehicles to be perfect would be its own safety concern because it would mean the needless perpetuation of the risks posed by human drivers.
Read More »
Autonomous Vehicles
essay
The Dream Drive
Jan 14, 2015
Autonomous vehicle technology is already here: Cars park themselves, alert drivers to impending dangers, and even apply the brakes in emergencies. But what will it take to unlock its potential for major societal benefits?
Read More »
Transportation Safety
commentary
What if Distracted Driving Was Safe?
James M. Anderson
Jul 1, 2014
The RAND Blog
According to consumer research, the ability to consume media, write an email, or even sleep during transport is a key selling point for autonomous vehicles (self-driving cars), which could be widely available in the fairly near future. Autonomous vehicle technology could also produce a wide range of public benefits.
Read More »
Transportation Planning
commentary
With Self-Driving Cars, Promise Outweighs Peril
James M. Anderson
Jan 29, 2014
The Detroit News
The promise of autonomous vehicles is finally near to being realized and the substantial benefits to society in terms of safety, mobility, and fuel economy cannot be ignored. It is not too early for policy makers to begin to think about the challenges that lie ahead.
Read More »