Governing autonomous vehicles: emerging responses for safety, liability, privacy, cybersecurity, and industry risks

Taeihagh, Araz; Lim, Hazel Si Min · 2018 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1080/01441647.2018.1494640

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Summary

This review paper examines the governance strategies adopted by governments to manage the technological risks associated with autonomous vehicles (AVs). Motivated by the rapid acceleration of AV technology and the potential for unintended societal consequences, the authors address two primary research questions: what specific risks are associated with AVs, and how are governments responding to these risks? The study focuses on five categories of technological risk: safety, liability, privacy, cybersecurity, and industry influence. The authors restrict their analysis to SAE Levels 4 and 5 automation, which represent a fundamental shift in societal mobility, and examine national-level efforts in key regions including the US, UK, Germany, China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, and the EU. The methodology involves a systematic review of academic literature, government reports, policy documents, and news articles published from 2000 onwards. The authors employ a theoretical framework to categorize governance strategies into five types: no-response, prevention-oriented, control-oriented, toleration-oriented, and adaptation-oriented. This framework allows for a comparative analysis of how different jurisdictions balance the strategic desirability of AV development against the need to mitigate risks. The findings reveal that most governments have avoided stringent regulatory measures to promote AV innovation, favoring non-binding responses such as the creation of councils or working groups. Regarding safety, the US and UK adopt light control-oriented strategies, relying on voluntary guidelines and testing codes rather than strict mandates, whereas Singapore and Japan implement more formal control and prevention measures, including mandatory safety assessments and human oversight requirements. In terms of liability, the UK and Germany have enacted specific legislation to clarify insurer and manufacturer responsibilities, with Germany also introducing mandatory black box data recording. In contrast, the US federal government has largely delegated liability issues to states, resulting in a fragmented approach. Privacy and cybersecurity responses vary from the introduction of non-AV-specific legislation to the establishment of advisory groups, with the US being particularly active in legislative efforts. The paper notes that environmental and employment risks receive significantly less attention, though some governments have initiated worker retraining programs. The significance of this study lies in its comprehensive categorization of emerging governance responses, highlighting a global trend toward light-touch regulation aimed at fostering innovation while managing uncertainty. The authors conclude that while some nations like the UK and Germany are moving toward toleration-oriented strategies that provide clearer legal frameworks for liability, many others remain in a state of exploration or light control. This analysis underscores the challenge governments face in balancing economic competitiveness with the timely management of societal implications, suggesting that current regulatory frameworks are often reactive and fragmented rather than proactive and unified.

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