Oregon considers rules for self-driving cars

PORTLAND, Ore. — Hoping to be at the forefront for autonomous car technology, the Oregon Legislature is considering a bill that calls for establishing guidelines for autonomous cars.

"The technology is in our neighborhood," said Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis. "I want Oregon to be at the forefront, we have inventors here."

Gelser introduced a bill four years ago to establish rules for self-driving cars, but it didn't get any traction at the Capitol. She's hoping the House bill this legislative session will get more attention.

"I think the positives outweigh the negatives," Gelser said. "It will make us safer drivers in the future. We just need to make the rules to assess liability, but I think this really will help our seniors and people with disabilities."

Former gubernatorial candidate Allen Alley thinks the state would be wise to create an environment that spurs investment in driverless car technology.

"If you create an environment where it's acceptable, it's encouraged, if we could be in the front we could be a regulatory leader, an insurance leader," Alley said. "It just makes it super easy for the companies to go to Oregon. It's easy to get them on the road. I got the impression we were not thinking that way."

While the state looks at creating guidelines for autonomous vehicles, a study from Fortune Magazine found Portland is one of the top cities in the country to transition to a driverless car system.

"We want to bring in autonomous vehicles in a way that we can make sure they are safe," said Portland Bureau of Transportation spokesperson Dylan Rivera. "They should be accessible for people of all incomes."

The study's criteria were primarily based on the distance of the average car trip and its distance from the urban core. Rivera says the study's finding shows Portland has made smart investments in building a transportation system for the future.

"Autonomous vehicles have the potential to benefit our communities by reducing crashes, improving first and last mile connections for transit users," Rivera said.

A study from AAA found 75 percent of people would be afraid to get in a driverless car, while 10 percent of people would feel safer.