The push for automated vehicles has been lauded as likely leading us to a safer driving future. But the question before us is whether the costs we pay to reach that destination are fairly distributed across economic groups. Professor William Widen says they are not. The failure to take this into account exemplifies troubling issues with the regulatory state, involving issues like industry capture of regulators and the absence of political will to protect the most vulnerable among us when innovative products hail a brighter future for all. Further, Widen addresses efforts at the state level that have inhibited local governments from addressing these issues on their own. Recorded March 10, 2023.
