No laws in Missouri governing self-driving cars

A deadly crash in Arizona is raising concerns over self-driving cars in our state. Currently, there are no laws governing self-driving cars in Missouri.

“Personally I wouldn’t get in a car that’s self driving. I don’t trust machines as much as I trust people,” Columbia resident Rachel Taylor told ABC 17 News.

So far, 21 states have passed legislation related to self-driving cars. Additionally, governors in several states, including Arizona, have issued executive orders.

Uber had been testing self-driving cars in Arizona for months. They are not being tested in Missouri. Mike Right, vice president of public affairs for AAA, said Arizona is a state with minimal regulations.

“I think we’re in a learning phase–just what are the problems associated with autonomous vehicles? Do you need a human to intervene?” he said.

Legislation related to self-driving cars has been filed in both the Missouri House and Senate. The bills are similar-both proposals would allow self-driving cars to be used for ride-sharing.

Another potential safety issue is the fact that many of Missouri’s roads and bridges are in poor condition. Experts said that could create additional problems for self-driving cars in our state.

“In terms of having a large number of these vehicles on the roadway, I think you’re going to have to see some significant improvements on the type of maintenance that is performed on the roadway system,” Right said.

Taylor, meanwhile, said it’s going to take more to convince her that self-driving cars are safe.

“I can see that there might be benefits. I’ve seen ads where the cars brake if there’s a deer that runs out in the road, but at the end of the day, I think the best way to drive a car is to have a human behind the wheel.”