Steve Burns
WMAL.com
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – (WMAL) Maryland legislators will convene Tuesday to ask questions of state and federal agencies and the private industry on the rise of driverless cars and legislative concerns they bring with them.
“It’s clear that driverless cars and trucks are moving ahead pretty quickly,” State Senator Jim Rosapepe (D-College Park) told WMAL. “It’s like any other new technology. There are opportunities and there are risks. The challenge for policymakers is to maximize the opportunity and minimize the risk.”
Among the groups scheduled to take part in the Joint Committee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Biotechnology’s hearing are the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
Rosapepe called the legislative task ahead a long undertaking that may take years to complete. Among his chief concerns are liability issues.
“We have a whole liability system built around the responsibility of the driver of the car,” he said. “So when there’s no driver, who is responsible for what? That’s a big set of issues.”
He also mentioned land-use changes on the horizon should parking lots and garages become less in-demand as travelers share cars.
“We’ve built an environment over the last 120 years around cars with drivers…Lots of things are going to change.”
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