When Will Occupant-Free Autonomous Cars Be Legal?

[igotzzoom]

I was thinking about this the other day...If policies could accommodate occupant-less autonomous cars, I could see how many households could make do with a single car. From both adults being able to share the same car by summoning it when needed, to the car driving itself to pick up kids from school and take them straight home. However, for some of the time, the cars will not have human occupants in them between destinations. Has anyone else thought about this?

 

[kort677]

not for many years, probably many decades

 

[GSP]

Are they legal now? That is "not illegal" because no lawmakers have got around to expressly forbidding them yet?

GSP

 

[Craig9080]

Are they legal now? That is "not illegal" because no lawmakers have got around to expressly forbidding them yet?

GSP

I love this comment, absolutely true! Wait until one crack-job gets a hold of a lawmaker and then self-driving cars are magically and epidemic. Thats exactly why I stopped flying FPV, the damn FAA had to step in a regulate the crap out of something that had not produced a single viable risk.

 

[igotzzoom]

Good point. I think it may very well be a case of the technology out-pacing regulation, and forcing the issue. It looks like Tesla is on the cusp of it now, if not already technically possible. I just see this possibility as being a huge game-changer in terms of mobility, flexibility and empowerment for lots of people.