(Re)Writing the Rules of the Road
In the case of automated driving, how and to whom should the rules of the road apply? This deep-dive conference brings together experts from government, industry, civil society, and academia to answer these questions through focused and robust discussion.
A write-up of the afternoon sessions is now available here!
March 15, 2019 – 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Room 1225, Jeffries Hall, University of Michigan Law School
In the case of automated driving, how and to whom should the rules of the road apply? This deep-dive conference brings together experts from government, industry, civil society, and academia to answer these questions through focused and robust discussion.
To ensure that discussions are accessible to all participants, the day will begin with an introduction to the legal and technical aspects of automated driving. It will then continue with a more general discussion of what it means to follow the law. After a lunch keynote by Rep. Debbie Dingell, expert panels will consider how traffic law should apply to automated driving and the legal person (if any) who should be responsible for traffic law violations. The day will conclude with audience discussion and a reception for all attendees.
(Re)Writing the Rules of the Road is presented by the University of Michigan Law School’s Law and Mobility Program, and co-sponsored by the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Schedule of Events
Morning Sessions
- 10:00 am – 10:45 am
Connected and Automated Vehicles – A Technical and Legal Primer
Prof. Bryant Walker Smith
Professor Bryant Walker Smith will provide a technical and legal introduction to automated driving and connected driving with an emphasis on the key concepts, terms, and laws that will be foundational to the afternoon sessions. This session is intended for all participants, including those with complementary expertise and those who are new to automated driving. Questions are welcome.
- 10:45 am – 11:15 am
Drivers Licenses for Robots? State DMV Approaches to CAV Regulation
Bernard Soriano, Deputy Director for the California DMV and James Fackler, Assistant Administrator for the Customer Services Administration in the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office, discuss their respective state’s approaches to regulating connected and autonomous vehicles.
- 11:15 am – 12:00 pm
Just What Is the Law? How Does Legal Theory Apply to Automated Vehicles and Other Autonomous Technologies?
Prof. Scott Hershovitz
Human drivers regularly violate the rules of the road. What does this say about the meaning of law? Professor Scott Hershovitz introduces legal theory and relates it to automated driving and autonomy more generally.
Keynote & Lunch
- 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm
Lunch
Free for all registered attendees!
- 12:30 pm-1:30 pm
Keynote – Rep. Debbie Dingell
Rep. Dingell shares her insights from both national and local perspectives.
Afternoon Sessions
- 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Crossing the Double Yellow Line: Should Automated Vehicles Always Follow the Rules of the Road as Written?
Should automated vehicles be designed to strictly follow the rules of the road? How should these vehicles reconcile conflicts between those rules? Are there meaningful differences among exceeding the posted speed limit to keep up with the flow of traffic, crossing a double yellow line to give more room to a bicyclist, and driving through a stop sign at the direction of a police officer? If flexibility and discretion are appropriate, how can they be achieved in law?
A panel of experts will each briefly present their views on these questions, followed by open discussion with other speakers and questions from the audience.
Featured Speakers:
Justice David F. Viviano, Michigan Supreme Court
Emily Frascaroli, Counsel, Ford Motor Company
Jessica Uguccioni, Lead Lawyer, Automated Vehicles Review, Law Commission of England and Wales
- 3:15 pm – 4:45 pm
Who Gets the Ticket? Who or What is the Legal Driver, and How Should Law Be Enforced Against Them?
Who or what should decide whether an automated vehicle should violate a traffic law? And who or what should be responsible for that violation? Are there meaningful differences among laws about driving behavior, laws about vehicle maintenance, and laws and post-crash responsibilities? How should these laws be enforced? What are the respective roles for local, state, and national authorities?
A panel of experts will each briefly present their views on these questions, followed by open discussion with other speakers and questions from the audience.
Featured Speakers:
Thomas J. Buiteweg, Partner, Hudson Cook, LLP
Kelsey Brunette Fiedler, Ideation Analyst in Mobility Domain
Karlyn D. Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, RAND Corporation
Daniel Hinkle, State Affairs Counsel, American Association for Justice
- 4:45 pm – 5:30 pm
Summary and General Discussion
Participants and attendees close out the day by taking part in wide discussion of all of the day’s panels.