Online Poll: Should Driverless Cars Be Allowed In Wyoming?
The Wyoming Legislature is set to consider a bill that would regulate self-driving cars--often referred to as "driverless cars" or cars with automated driving systems--in the upcoming legislative session.
You can read Senate File 16 here. The legislature is set to convene on Feb. 14. While it is a budget session, non-budget items can be considered with a 2/3 majority vote.
But is Wyoming ready for vehicles that are not operated by a human motorist?
A number of safety concerns come to mind.
Senate File 16 specifically mandates that the vehicles are properly equipped for safety at railroad crossings for example. But will technology ever reach the point where an automated driving system is as safe as an actual human being who can make judgment calls based on experience and the ability to think logically, as opposed to being programmed ahead of time?
We all know technology makes our lives easier until it doesn't work the way it's supposed to. Having a computer or cell phone malfunction can be annoying, but out-of-control vehicles could be deadly.
On the other hand, a lot of people argue that you can't stop technology. It's worth mentioning that so-called "horseless carriages" were once considered to be potentially dangerous technology too. The argument can also be made that Wyoming should be on the cutting edge of new technology rather than risk being seen as a backward place that refuses to "get with it" in the 21st century.
So what do you think of the idea of self-driving vehicles on Wyoming roads and highways? Take our poll and give us your opinion