Arup Thoughts The rules of the (automated) road

We don't yet understand either how to set or govern the rules of the new autonomous vehicle driving era – we need public debate before AV technology becomes widespread on our streets. On the 10 February 2016 the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration agreed to classify Google's artificial intelligence system as the legal'driver' of its automated vehicles (AVs). With this regulatory recognition, artificial intelligence and navigation systems' future role on our streets seems assured. But I believe we don't yet understand either how to set or govern the rules of this new driving era. To date, safety has been the main concern. How will the AVs interact with pedestrians, cyclists and human driven vehicles?