The Wild, Wild West: A Case Study of Self-Driving Vehicle Testing in Arizona

The tragic March 18, 2018 death of Elaine Herzberg, a pedestrian fatally hit by an Uber self-driving vehicle prototype, brought self-driving testing and technology to the forefront of national media. The laissez-faire attitude of Arizona’s government in inviting such nascent technology into the state, without much forethought to the dangers it may bring, must be critically evaluated to set a safety-forward precedent for the rest of the country. A middle ground must be established through a legislatively-mandated taskforce equipped with the ability to regulate such industry, so that new self-driving vehicle technology can flourish, while the safety of the community can remain intact.