Decades of imagination, research and investment in advanced computing are bearing fruit at last in the global race for automotive autonomy. 
As if the technological hurdles inherent in engineering a car smart enough of driving itself weren't steep enough, multijurisdictional compliance across and even within countries has become impossibly complex over the last 18 months.

To help balance industry's twin imperatives of safety and innovation responsibly, Dentons, the world's largest law firm, has developed its Global Autonomous Vehicles (AV) Index. The AV Index, which is built on Dentons' proprietary technology and free to use, compares countries across multiple jurisdictions in specific areas that impact the testing and deployment of AVs. 

Varying scenarios the AV Index highlights include:

• In Canada, regulations do not require a human driver in a vehicle when testing AVs; not so in Australia. 
• Stateside, California permits driverless trucks and autonomous platooning, but New York has yet to come out with any guidelines on the matter.

With the tool, users can select up to three countries or US states and learn how they compare in following areas:

• Do regulations permit, restrict or prohibit the testing of driverless vehicles?
• Are safety standards for manufacture, use and operation of driverless vehicles enforced through self-certification or an approval or application process?
• Are there any specific hardware or software requirements for driverless vehicles?
• What are the insurance requirements related to driverless-vehicle testing?
• Are backup drivers or remote operators required to test driverless vehicles? What are the requirements for test driver training and licensing?
• Are autonomous vehicle networks permitted?

"Self-driving technology is already informing and shaping how automakers and technology companies design and operate cars," said Eric Tanenblatt, Global Chair of Dentons’ Public Policy and Regulation practice and the leader of the Firm's Autonomous Vehicles group. "And now, with an increased pressure to accelerate driverless technology to make a more touch-free world, technologists and automakers need to understand how to navigate this new legal and regulatory territory."

The AV Index builds off the Global Guide to Autonomous Vehicles 2020, which Dentons released earlier this year to closely examine front-burner issues related to AVs, regulatory and policy changes, new legal precedents and global trends shaping the sector across seven countries. The AV Index further explores the topic of testing and deployment and expands its purview to 15 countries in addition to separate categories for each of the 50 US states plus the District of Columbia.

Dentons boasts the world's first and largest multidisciplinary, multijurisdictional autonomous vehicle practice, with the experience and footprint necessary to provide sound legal, technical and policy advice to automakers and manufacturers, technology startups, fleet operators and auto liability insurers or finance companies. For more information and latest news regarding AVs, visit: http://www.thedriverlesscommute.com/

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