Should NH ban self-driving cars?

Rep. Joe Guthrie is sponsoring a 2018 bill that would ban self-driving cars on New Hampshire roads.

The bill states:

"No person shall operate an autonomous vehicle upon any way or allow an autonomous vehicle owned by him or her to be operated upon any way."

Guthrie's bill is in direct conflict with a 2017 bill that recently received a thumbs-up from the House Transportation Committee. That bill, HB 314, sets up license to test self-driving cars on New Hampshire roads. It still has to pass the full House and Senate before it would become law.

Are self-driving cars too dangerous?

Some argue that autonomous car technology is too new to be safe on public roads, even if it has been tested on private roads.

The National Transportation Safety Board recently concluded that the autopilot technology in a self-driving car "played a major role" in a fatal crash in Florida. The technology was only supposed to be used on certain roads, but nothing stopped the driver from using it when he shouldn't have. It also failed to recognize a white truck against the bright sky.

Or are self-driving cars the future?

On the other hand, some policymakers believe self-driving cars will one day replace all vehicles. New Hampshire should embrace the industry and reap the economic benefits.

Rather than ban self-driving cars, New Hampshire could also take a more incremental approach, such as the license proposed in HB 314.

Do you think New Hampshire should ban self-driving cars? Let us know in the comments below.