"We often will discuss and sometimes lament the challenge of trying to make policy ahead of technology."
That was how Republican Senate President Pro Tem David Givens introduced the autonomous vehicle bill on the floor in the final hours of the 2023 legislative session. While Givens said trying to read the technological tea leaves is difficult, it’s not a new dilemma. He gave the example of pedestrian fatalities in the early 1900s due to people still accustomed to horses seeing them and stopping — whereas cars did not.
Now, we’re asking a similar question, only in reverse: Does Kentucky trust driverless vehicles to do the watching?
Many on the Senate and House floors weren’t quite ready to jump on the bandwagon, worrying aloud that the autonomous vehicles could still pose safety risks or take away jobs from Kentuckians.
But Sen. John Schickel said the industry hubs in his district favored moving forward with a regulatory framework.
"We all know this is the future," he said. "We can't get away from it. And to drag our feet and not move forward would be a big mistake."
Most agreed, sending the bill to the governor.
Among the provisions: setting up how licensing and insurance should work, and how law enforcement should handle incidents involving the driverless vehicles.
