Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for May 9, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
May 9, 2018: Twenty-two states have passed laws guiding the operation of self-driving vehicles. Additionally, 10 governors have issued executive orders on the topic, and 10 other state legislatures have considered legislation. Eight states have not taken or considered any action.[1]
One unresolved difference between the states is how a “vehicle operator” is defined. “Tennessee SB 151 points to the autonomous driving system (ADS), while Texas SB 2205 designates a 'natural person' riding in the vehicle. Meanwhile, Georgia SB 219 identifies the operator as the person who causes the ADS to engage, which might happen remotely in a vehicle fleet. These distinctions will affect how states license both human drivers and autonomous vehicles going forward.”
An earlier Number of the Day noted that 24% of American adults oppose self-driving cars and say that they will never use them.
When I wrote about my first experience in a self-driving car, I noted that it will take a generation or so “before we get fully autonomous cars that come when you summon them and let you ride without thinking about the road at all.”[2]
One reason for the gradual adaptation, noted in an earlier Number of the Day, is that Americans tend to hang on to their cars for an average of 11.2 years. There are still nearly two million cars on the road from the 1960s.
Although it will take time to get there, the potential benefits are significant. The vast majority of interactions between police officers and American citizens are related to cars and driving. Self-driving cars might eliminate more than 32 million such interactions every year, freeing police for other duties.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- May 8, 2018 – 39 percent of top liberal arts colleges have no Republican professors
- May 7, 2018 – 74 percent of government workers voted in Election 2016
- May 4, 2018 – 3.5 million Americans moved from highest-taxed states to lowest over past decade
- May 3, 2018 – 25 percent of Americans have confidence in elected officials
- May 2, 2018 – 32 percent of white Democrats believe in God of the Bible
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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