State Transit Authorities Develop “Smart Roads”
Posted on Jan 3, 2017 in Industry News, Technology Impacting Auto Insurance | Comments Off on State Transit Authorities Develop “Smart Roads”
A handful of states are responding to the smart car surge by developing and installing “smart roads”—technology-aided roads using fiber optics, cameras, and signaling devices to communicate with drivers, autonomous vehicles, and even transit authorities. For example, Virginia has installed “smart road” devices on light poles and bridges on certain roads, which watch the highway,...
A New Regulator in Town?
Posted on Dec 9, 2016 in Industry News | Comments Off on A New Regulator in Town?
Some in the automotive industry have expressed enthusiasm for the president-elect’s proposed U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao. Chao has in the past taken a free-market approach to industry and has pushed for less federal regulation. For companies working on driverless cars and other new technologies, that approach is expected to promote innovation. The current...
Autonomous Vehicles on the Road in Michigan
Posted on Nov 16, 2016 in Industry News | Comments Off on Autonomous Vehicles on the Road in Michigan
The Michigan legislature recently passed a series of laws that would allow companies to test autonomous vehicles on the roads in Michigan. The legislation now awaits the governor’s signature. As previously noted, the new laws would allow the public to buy and use fully driverless cars when they become available. One of the laws allows a vehicle to be operated without a human driver and...
Insurance Coverage for Self-Driving Cars in Japan
Posted on Nov 16, 2016 in Insurance Developments and Trends, Technology Impacting Auto Insurance | Comments Off on Insurance Coverage for Self-Driving Cars in Japan
A Japanese insurance company will begin offering coverage for accidents involving self-driving vehicles next year. Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance will provide coverage for vehicles that have automated systems controlling acceleration, steering, or braking, as well as for vehicles that are autonomous enough to require driver input only in emergencies. (The coverage will not...
Autonomous Vehicles Tested on UK Streets
Posted on Oct 11, 2016 in Industry News, Technology Impacting Auto Insurance | Comments Off on Autonomous Vehicles Tested on UK Streets
For the first time, autonomous vehicles were tested on streets in the UK as of Tuesday, October 11. More specifically, the electric car was tested at 5 mph around the town of Milton Keynes. The test are part of broader efforts to get autonomous vehicles on the road by 2020. The British government has been encouraging of this new technology, hoping to build a global industry. In advance...
