How will drunk driving laws adapt to self-driving cars?


This article was originally published by Martin Banks on Clean Fleet Report, a publication that gives its readers the information they need to move to cars and trucks with best fuel economy, including electric cars, fuel cells, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and advanced diesel and gasoline engines. 

Autonomy and personal responsibility

Individuals driving under the influence are one of the most common causes of automotive accidents and fatalities in the world, second only to distracted driving. These tragic statistics are fuel for the fire, pushing automotive manufacturers toward creating fully autonomous vehicles.

How do DUI laws apply if you’re not actually the one driving the car? Let’s take a closer look at how DUI laws will likely adapt as self-driving cars become more mainstream.

Levels of Autonomy

First, let’s briefly define the different levels of autonomy to better understand how they will impact DUI laws in the future.