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Autonomous Vehicles

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Research Brief

When an Autonomous Vehicle Is Hacked, Who Is Liable?

Jul 12, 2019

Hacks on autonomous vehicles could lead to deaths, property destruction, ransomware attacks, or data theft. Several scenarios illustrate the policy challenges facing the civil legal system, insurers, and others.
Report

How AV Safety Can Be Defined, Tested, and Measured

Oct 11, 2018

The race to introduce automated vehicles to consumers and communities is based on the promise that they will be safer than conventional vehicles. A new framework for measuring AV safety provides the public, automotive industry, and policymakers with clearer ways to discuss AV technology issues.

Explore Autonomous Vehicles

Report

Could Autonomous Drones Make Blood Deliveries?

Blood must be transported and stored in a certain way, and has a finite shelf life. Unmanned systems offer flexibility in chaotic or uncertain environments. Could autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles make the military's blood supply network more resilient?

Oct 18, 2019
Commentary

Bargain-Hunting Robocars Could Spell the End for Downtown Parking: Cities Need to Plan Ahead Now

Imagine a scene from the near-future: You get dropped off downtown by a driverless car. You slam the door and head into your office or appointment. But then where does the autonomous vehicle go? It's a question that cities would be wise to consider now. Self-driving cars may be on the roads within the next decade or two.

Aug 29, 2019
Report

Report

When Autonomous Vehicles Are Hacked, Who Is Liable?

The arrival of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on the roads will require policymakers, industry, and the public to adapt to the risk of hackers attacking these vehicles. RAND researchers explored the civil liability issues related to hacked AVs.

Jul 12, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Autonomous Transport Devices: Implications of Game-Changing Technologies in the Services Sector in Europe

The potential socioeconomic implications and applicability of game-changing technologies to the European services sector, covering: advanced robotics; autonomous transport devices; blockchain; virtual and augmented reality; and wearable devices.

Jun 25, 2019
Essay

How to End U.S. Roadway Deaths by 2050

Tens of thousands of people die on American roads every year. Bringing that number down to zero by 2050 is possible. We would have to change how we think about road safety, stop accepting car crashes as accidents, and make smart investments in technology.

Jun 24, 2019
Commentary

AVs Could Improve Transportation Access in 'Transit Deserts'

More large U.S. cities are seeing their outer reaches turn into transit deserts, where demand for transportation vastly exceeds supply. Connecting public transit systems with automated vehicles, whether in ride-sharing or shuttle services, could be a solution.

May 31, 2019
Commentary

Why AV Safety and Cybersecurity Need to Be Pursued in Tandem

Safety and cybersecurity are generally pursued by separate teams within autonomous vehicle companies. A joint approach to standards could optimize safety and cybersecurity and reduce overall risks to autonomous vehicle operation.

Mar 20, 2019
Commentary

How to Make Roads Safer for Autonomous Vehicles

No matter how much developers test autonomous vehicles, the world will still present unforeseen circumstances for vehicles to navigate. Roadways and vehicle design could be modified to better accommodate both human error and the shortcomings of autonomous vehicle systems.

Feb 6, 2019
Blog

State of the Union: Insights from RAND

To shed light on a wide range of topics that figured in President Trump's second State of the Union address, we've rounded up insights from some of RAND's objective and nonpartisan research, analysis, and expertise.

Feb 6, 2019
Report

Advancing Autonomous Systems: An Analysis of Current and Future Technology for Unmanned Maritime Vehicles

In this report, RAND researchers explore current and potential military applications of autonomous systems, focusing especially on unmanned undersea vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles.

Jan 4, 2019
Commentary

The New AV Challenge: Creating a Universal Safety Framework

Autonomous vehicle developers are pursuing different safety strategies and technologies, making different claims, in different ways, about their systems. A universal framework could provide a more consistent and transparent view of progress in AV safety within and across the industry, better informing the public and policymakers.

Nov 2, 2018
Commentary

How AVs Could Provide Independence for Older Drivers

Giving up driving has been linked to depression and isolation in older adults, as well as early entry into nursing home facilities. Autonomous vehicles could help improve the well-being of older adults by allowing them to maintain independence while still giving up their car keys.

Sep 21, 2018
Commentary

What If Autonomous Vehicles Actually Make Us More Dependent on Cars?

Cities across Europe are taking steps to become increasingly car free. Mayors, supported by their officials and planners, should start leading a debate now about how self-driving vehicles can best serve the needs of residents and visitors, and help deliver wider goals for their cities.

Jun 19, 2018
Report

Rethinking Insurance and Liability in the Transformative Age of Autonomous Vehicles

What are the challenges and opportunities for the automobile insurance industry as autonomous vehicle technology becomes widely deployed? This workshop brought together industry stakeholders, regulators, and consumer representatives to focus on the implications of AV technology for insurance and liability regimes.

Jun 8, 2018
Report

Could U.S. Road Deaths Reach Zero by 2050?

Motor vehicle crashes kill more than 100 Americans every day and are the leading cause of death for people age 15 to 24. A strategy that includes changes in policy, technology, and social norms could substantially improve road safety and lead to zero roadway deaths by 2050.

Apr 19, 2018
Report

Report

The Road to Zero: Executive Summary: A Vision for Achieving Zero Roadway Deaths by 2050

Imagine that, in 2050, not a single person in the United States dies in a traffic crash. This executive summary to The Road to Zero: A Vision for Achieving Zero Roadway Deaths by 2050 describes how that might be possible.

Apr 19, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

A Common EU Approach to Liability Rules and Insurance for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: European Added Value Assessment Accompanying the European Parliament's Legislative Own-Initiative Report

The findings of this European added value assessment (EAVA) suggest that it is necessary to revise the current legislative EU framework for liability rules and insurance for connected and autonomous vehicles.

Mar 28, 2018
Multimedia

Safety in a World of Driverless Cars

In this Call with the Experts, senior information scientist Nidhi Kalra discusses a RAND study that shows putting driverless cars on the road before they're nearly perfect could save lives, and also describes new approaches for safety standards.

Feb 15, 2018

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RAND Topic:
Autonomous Vehicles