Transportation Law Commons^™

Cybersecurity Of Autonomous Systems In The Transportation Sector: An Examination Of Regulatory And Private Law Approaches With Recommendations For Needed Reforms, Jeanne C. Suchodolski

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

The past twenty-five years gave rise to increasing levels of automation within the transportation sector. From initial subsystems, like vessel satellite tracking and automobile chassis control, automation continues apace. The future promises fully autonomous devices such as unmanned aerial systems (“UAS”) and self-driving cars (“UAV”). These autonomous and automatic systems and devices (“AASD”) provide safety, efficiency, and productivity benefits. Yet AASD operate under continual threat of cyber-attack. ¶ Compromised AASD can produce dire consequences in the transportation sector. The possible consequences extend far beyond financial harms to severe bodily injury or even death. Given both the prevalence of cyber threats …

Comparison Of Laws And Regulations Concerning Human Factors In Maritime Accident, Yifang Xu

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Holding Ridesharing Companies Accountable In Texas, Martha Alejandra Salas

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract forthcoming

Hands On The Wheel: A Call For Greater Regulation Of Semi-Autonomous Cars, Tracy Pearl

Indiana Law Journal

The degree to which a driverless car can function independently of a human driver depends upon its level of automation. In the 2016 Policy, NHTSA adopted the six-level measurement of automation created by SAE International, a professional association of automotive engineers. SAE created these levels to provide “common terminology for automated driving,” and to highlight the differences between semi-autonomous and fully autonomous cars. NHTSA believes that adopting these levels and SAE’s definitions thereof will provide both “clarity and consistency” in discussions about automated vehicles.

In this article, I will be focusing on Level 2 autonomous vehicles: those that are partially …

Commercial Transportation, Madeline E. Mcneeley, Yvonne S. Godfrey, Andrew J. Conn, Stephen G. Lowry

Mercer Law Review

Commercial transportation involves all of the significant forms of passenger and property transportation across the United States. This Article covers four major areas: (1) trucking and commercial transit; (2) aviation; (3) limousines, taxis, and rideshare services; and (4) railroads. Most of these areas are subject to heavy federal regulation due to their involvement in and effect on interstate commerce. This Article surveys significant judicial, regulatory, and legislative developments in Eleventh Circuit commercial transportation law during the period from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2017.

The Future Of Law And Mobility, Daniel A. Crane

Articles

With the launch of the new Journal of Law and Mobility, the University of Michigan is recognizing the transformative impact of new transportation and mobility technologies, from cars, to trucks, to pedestrians, to drones. The coming transition towards intelligent, automated, and connected mobility systems will transform not only the way people and goods move about, but also the way human safety, privacy, and security are protected, cities are organized, machines and people are connected, and the public and private spheres are defined.

The Race Is On! Regulating Self-Driving Vehicles Before They Hit The Streets, Jack Liechtung

Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law

As the world braces itself for the unveiling of autonomous vehicles, the idea of regulation and oversight has gone largely undetected. Though some states have already begun enacting legislation ahead of the technology’s wide release, the regulatory landscape across the country is in disarray. It is imperative that both manufacturers and consumers be given some sort of uniform understanding as to how the automation is overseen throughout the manufacturing process and how liability will be levied in the case of inevitable mistakes on our nation’s roadways. This Note proposes that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration be responsible for providing …

Keeping That Doggie In The (Car) Window Safe: Recommendations For Driving With Canine Companions, Phyllis Coleman

Pace Law Review

Part I of this article uses the empirical research of experts (animal behaviorists, ethologists, and cynologists) to explain reasons canine companions and their humans love riding together. It also highlights the potential risks when dogs distract drivers. Acknowledging that only a few studies exist, it provides whatever statistics are available and posits that data strongly suggest dogs who are roaming free in a car cause or at least contribute to many accidents. This means, in addition to drivers and passengers in other vehicles and even pedestrians, these animals represent a significant potential danger to themselves and occupants of their car …

The State And Future Of Autonomous Vehicle Regulation In The United States, Nikolay Nyashin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Autonomous vehicle technology is poised to revolutionize transit around the world. There are currently tens of private companies either testing or building autonomous vehicles, including industry juggernauts like Ford and Google. This new mode of transportation falls into a regulatory grey area. Once cars reach full autonomy, governments will have to decide what entities will regulate them, where they will be allowed to drive, who will be responsible for them and a host of other issues. In some municipalities like San Francisco and Phoenix, autonomous vehicles (AVs) are being tested on public streets in real life conditions. Meanwhile, in 2017, …

The Gorge Commission: An Adequate Forum For States, Counties, Tribes, And The Railroads Operating In The Columbia River Gorge, Dayna Jones

Washington Journal of Environmental Law & Policy

The Columbia River Gorge is host to some of the most biodiverse landscape on the planet. In addition to harboring unique species, the Gorge is also home to a unique jurisdictional landscape. The collaborative legislation that enacted the Gorge Act endowed governmental authority of the General Management Area of the Gorge within a compact agency: the Gorge Commission. Railroads running through the Gorge have contested the Gorge Commission’s jurisdiction over their operations, claiming preemption from the Commission’s authority. This article discusses the competing jurisdictional interests in the General Management Area of the Gorge and explains why the Gorge Commission is …

Deadlier Road Accidents? Traffic Safety Regulations And Heterogeneous Motorists’ Behavior, Christine Ho, Madhav S. Aney

Research Collection School Of Economics

In 2003, China enacted the Road Traffic Safety Law in an attempt to promote traffic safety.We employ a difference-in-differences strategy on province level data, where fire accidentsare used as a control group for road accidents, to estimate the effects of the law on road accidents and casualties. Our findings suggest that while the law was successful in decreasing thenumber of accidents and casualties, the ratio of deaths to accidents and injuries to accidentsincreased. Exploring the potential channels, we find no evidence that “hit-and-kill” incentives,that is, incentives for motorists to kill the pedestrians that they hit due to China’s peculiar personal …

The Road To The Future: A Regulatory Regime For The Rise Of The Robot Cars, Daniel Spencer

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Assessment And Comparison Of Aviation Manufacturing Industries Throughout Mexico And Brazil, Omar E. Morsi, Kelly A. Whealan-George, Aaron D. Clevenger

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This literature review serves to provide insight and understanding in regards to the evolving aviation manufacturing industry throughout the globe and more specifically, Mexico and Brazil. Increased demand for aircraft units both in the commercial and private sectors have led to unprecedented expansions in aircraft manufacturing across the industry. In order to illuminate certain potentials and current growth levels of such industries, this review will delve into an array of information and specifications in regards to economic, political, and cultural influences throughout both Mexican and Brazilian markets respectively. In conclusion, the review will identify the transformation of an aviation manufacturing …

Utm, Atm, Stm… Slices Of The Sky?, Ruth E. Stilwell

Space Traffic Management Conference

UTM, ATM, STM… slices of the sky?

This paper will examine the functional differences between Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management Systems, Air Traffic Management Systems, and Space Traffic Management. Understanding both the similarities between the systems and the different functional requirements of each concept is critical in the discussion and development of STM. While there are many commonalities in each area, it is important to understand how the different environments affect the ability to develop policies, procedure and technologies to manage the vehicles operating in the distinct environment. Both technical and legal frameworks will be discussed.

Building a conceptual framework for …

Hb 1 - Space Flight, Malissa Caroline Barger, Ethan L. Smith

Georgia State University Law Review

The Act limits the civil and criminal liability of a space flight entity for injuries sustained by space flight participants arising from ordinary negligence. The Act defines new terms and provides a statutory waiver form that participants with informed consent must sign. The Act mandates space flight participants sign the waiver before participating in any space flight activity. The Act does not limit the liability of space flight entities for gross negligence or intentional acts, nor does it prevent suits from anyone other than the space flight participant.

Incentive Compatible Climate Change Mitigation: Moving Beyond The Pledge And Review Model, Gabriel Weil

Scholarly Works

Climate change represents a global commons problem, where individuals, businesses, and nation-states all lack sufficient incentives to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to levels consistent with meeting their collectively agreed upon mitigation goals. The current "pledge and review" paradigm for global climate change mitigation, which many see as a major breakthrough, relies primarily on moral pressure, reputational incentives, and global public opinion to foster cooperation on mitigation efforts over and above those driven by maximization of narrow conceptions of national interests. Given the scale of the emissions reductions required to meet stated mitigation goals, the substantial economic costs of deep …

Explaining Market Urbanism, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

Compares Market Urbanism to New Urbanism and Landscape Urbanism

Engineering Standards In Highway Design Litigation, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

Highway engineers sometimes believe that if they redesign streets to improve pedestrian safety (for example, by introducing traffic calming techniques) they might be successfully sued for negligent design by motorists. This chapter suggests that in such situations, governments are likely to be protected by discretionary function immunity. In addition, the chapter discusses a variety of technical issues.

The Future Of Law And Mobility, Daniel A. Crane

Journal of Law and Mobility

With the launch of the new Journal of Law and Mobility, the University of Michigan is recognizing the transformative impact of new transportation and mobility technologies, from cars, to trucks, to pedestrians, to drones. The coming transition towards intelligent, automated, and connected mobility systems will transform not only the way people and goods move about, but also the way human safety, privacy, and security are protected, cities are organized, machines and people are connected, and the public and private spheres are defined.

Law will be at the center of these transformations, as it always is. There has already been …

Autonomy In The Age Of Autonomous Vehicles, Michael Mattioli

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This essay describes intertwined policy challenges related to autonomous vehicle data. The policy goals of promoting privacy, safety, competition, and commerce are all so deeply intertwined, I conclude, that they must be understood and addressed together. This essay does not attempt to solve the problem. Instead, it presents a descriptive snapshot of the current state of play in the industry and closes by raising a set of questions. I hope these questions will prompt useful discussions among policy experts and the public.

Inadequate Accessibility: Why Uber Should Be A Public Accommodation Under The Americans With Disabilities Act, Elizabeth A. Mapelli

American University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Hands On The Wheel: A Call For Greater Regulation Of Semi-Autonomous Cars, Tracy Hresko Pearl

Faculty Articles

The United States is in the midst of a driverless car revolution. Semi-autonomous cars — those that can steer, accelerate, and brake on their own under certain circumstances — are already available to consumers. Fully autonomous cars will be available within the decade. The federal government and states throughout the nation have responded to these developments by rushing to pass laws designed to regulate the fully autonomous cars that are coming while largely ignoring the semi-autonomous cars that are already on U.S. roads. This is an extremely troubling oversight. New studies suggest that semi-autonomous vehicles are likely far more dangerous …

Bicycle-Friendly Policies, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

A review of Copenhagenize by Mikael Colville-Andersen

Commercial Transportation, Stephen G. Lowry, Madeline E. Mcneeley, Kristy S. Davies, Yvonne S. Godfrey

Mercer Law Review

Commercial transportation involves all of the significant forms of passenger and property transportation across the United States. This Article covers five major areas: (1) trucking; (2) aviation; (3) limousines, taxis, rideshare services, and commercial transit; (4) autonomous vehicles; and (5) railroads. This Article surveys significant judicial and legislative developments in Georgia commercial transportation law during the period from the beginning of the 2012 regular session of the 151st Georgia General Assembly through May 31, 2017.

Each of the areas covered are subject to heavy federal regulation. Much of this Article discusses Georgia's interaction with federal regulations and laws pertaining to …

Roll On, Cyclist: The Idaho Rule, Traffic Law, And The Quest To Incentivize Urban Cycling, Asmara M. Tekle

Chicago-Kent Law Review

No abstract provided.

Newsroom: Gutoff, Nixon On Puerto Rico 09-28-2017, Katie Warren, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Are Uber And Transportation Network Companies The Future Of Transportation (Law) And Employment (Law)?, Miriam A. Cherry

Texas A&M Law Review

This Article largely eschews easy or reflexive judgments about Uber or other TNCs. In this piece, the Author asks two questions about the economic, social, technical, and political aspects of TNCs and their interactions with the law. First, are Uber and TNCs the future of transportation (and transportation law)? And second, are Uber and TNCs the future of employment (and employment law)? In a common-law system, reasoning from precedent is always a form of prediction. As Oliver Wendell Holmes stated, “[t]he prophecies of what the courts will do in fact, and nothing more pretentious, are what I mean by the …

Where We're Going, We'll Need Roads! Building The Bridge To The Future: Public-Private Partnerships For Future Border Infrastructure Development, Jessica R. Lesnau

Texas A&M Law Review

In a world where global economies are increasingly interdependent, the United States, and its North American counterparts, Canada and Mexico, are booming sources of international trade. Now, more than ever, global competitiveness necessitates developments in U.S. infrastructure, especially at major border crossings where congestion and poor infrastructure create bottlenecks interfering with the free movement of goods. Questions pertaining to international border crossings circle the debate at the most crucial international border crossing in North America: the Ambassador Bridge, which spans the Detroit River between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario. A legal battle rages over the proposed construction of a new …

The Trolley And The Pinto: Cost-Benefit Analysis In Automated Driving And Other Cyber-Physical Systems, Bryant Walker Smith

Texas A&M Law Review

Automated driving has attracted substantial public and scholarly attention. This brief Article describes how that attention has brought new fame to a classic philosophical thought experiment (the “trolley problem”), critiques how this thought experiment has been applied in that context, proposes a more practical extension of that experiment based on risk rather than harm, notes that this extension may still involve programming value judgments, argues with reference to the Ford Pinto debacle that these judgments could inflame juries or the public at large, and emphasizes the need for appropriately focused public discussion of these issues. The Article may be especially …

Highway To Hell: The Privatized Prison Transportation Industry And The Long Road To Reform, Jaden P. Rhea

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.