Standing Committee on Emerging Technology Law (AJL40)

Date: 7/9/2024
Time: 11:45 AM - 1:15 PMCT
Location: Bennie Moten A/B
Primary Sponsoring Committee: Emerging Technology Law Committee (AJL40)
Co-Sponsoring Committee(s): 

Session Description


Presentations

TRB Emerging Technology Law Committee

Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at lunch

Agenda

1. Welcome and Introductions (15 minutes)
2. Sessions Sponsored at TRB Annual Transportation Law Workshop (5 minutes)

○      SESSION 6: Beyond the Road: Maritime and Freight Rail Autonomous Systems. Autonomous systems and robots have captured public attention in recent years. Much of that attention to date has focused on autonomous cars and trucks. But advances in software engineering, sensors, robotics, and machine intelligence in general are also occurring in other transportation modes such as maritime systems and freight rail, which raise unique legal and regulatory issues. This session will introduce these emerging technologies and discuss the legal and policy constraints facing them, including safety regulation, jurisdictional uncertainty, and liability and insurance considerations. And to also lay out open issues and challenges related to data, its ownership and use.

○      SESSION 13: Privacy Concerns? We See You.  Privacy is a hot topic in transportation--from connected and automated vehicles collecting and transmitting potentially sensitive data to the proliferation of cameras on vehicles and in transportation infrastructure.  This panel will cover a range of privacy topics including data collection and processing, promises and pitfalls of infrastructure cameras, technologies such as speed detectors and plate readers, and legal and policy consideration with data sharing for private or public purposes, including Fourth Amendment concerns.  The panel will represent diverse perspectives from the public sector, industry, and research to provide a holistic overview of current concerns and the path ahead.
 

3.  What’s on Your Desk? (20 minutes). Committee members will share hot trends of issues that they are confronting, starting off with Melody Drummond Hansen and Alan Steinberg from private and public perspectives. And joined by others from any number of perspectives, including Mollie D’Agostino from academia.
4. Highlights of TRB Annual Meeting Sessions (3 minutes)

●      Who Is Responsible and Who Pays When an Automated Vehicle Crashes: A Case Study of the Tempe, Arizona, Tragedy, Alan Steinberg, California Department of Transportation, presiding. The first major crash that led to a fatality involving an Automated Vehicle (AV) was a seminal moment and turning point in the driverless car movement. Like any innovative new mobility service or technology, the existing legal system is tested to allocate responsibility or fault among parties, and to attempt to achieve justice. The Tempe, Arizona tragedy involved the untimely death of a pedestrian by an AV in testing mode, with a test driver. A combination of civil actions, government investigations and criminal prosecutions resulted, involving federal and state authorities and private litigants, and the series of twists and turns recently concluded.

●      Charging Ahead: Exploring the Unexpected Challenges of Electric Vehicle Adoption, Ian Williams, Venable, LLP, presiding. Industry and government have major goals for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across the 2020s and beyond. The speed and scale of adoption raises underappreciated legal and policy issues: How can stakeholders manage consumer expectations and educate consumers on the realities of EV performance and capabilities, while also engaging with other road users on the realities of sharing the road with EVs? What will EVs demand of infrastructure? How can industry and government address the current lack of charging capacity, the likely increase in demand for electricity, and the potential for increased wear and tear on infrastructure caused by heavier EVs? How concerned should stakeholders be about “greenwashing” in the EV industry?

5.  Discussion of Topics for TRB Annual Meeting in January 2025 (20 minutes)
6. Suggestions for New Members to Invite to Join the Committee (5 minutes)
7. Other Items for Discussion

Panelist