Push for drink-driving law exemption for those in automated cars

Uber drivers could one day be spared from engaging in small talk with drunks if a National Transport Commission suggestion to allow people under the influence of alcohol to use fully automated vehicles is adopted by state road authorities. The NTC, an independent statutory body tasked with reforming Australia's driving laws to prepare for the arrival of driverless cars, has recommended an "exemption" from drink and drug-driving laws for people who ride in fully automated vehicles. In a new discussion paper it argues there is a "clear-cut" justification for an exemption from drink-driving laws because there is "no possibility that a human could drive a dedicated automated vehicle". "The situation is analogous to a person instructing a taxi driver where to go," the NTC report states. State traffic laws prohibit driving under the influence of varying levels of alcohol but the NTC says they could be a "barrier" to the benefits of driverless vehicles, which it argues could improve road safety by reducing the incidence of drink-driving.