California has always been home to dreamers, inventors, and pioneers who push the boundaries of science and imagination. As a result, how we grapple with technology has been a constant within the California Legislature for well over a century. With each advance, we’re working to balance our need to foster innovation with our responsibility to protect consumers. That’s really what it boils down to. From the transition from the horse and buggy to automobiles over a century ago to today’s debates surrounding the evolution of technology and the implications for modern life, the same principle is there.
Consider the ongoing discussion around advancements in autonomous vehicles alone. We know the benefits of technology in improving vehicle safety, and we know the potential that design changes can have on overall traffic safety in every California community. Autonomous vehicles will bring with them a synchronized traffic flow that will rid us of the clutter and chaos on the roads today. The positive impacts will extend to our overall air quality as well. Transitioning to all-electric autonomous vehicles has the potential to completely eliminate more than one-quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions created in the nation. And finally, there’s the opportunity to improve our quality of life. How many hours, days, weeks, does the average Californian spend in their car? What would life be like if we could use that time for something else?
As with every other advance in technology, we’re struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of change and what it demands of the communities we represent from how we design new infrastructure, how we retrofit our existing roads and freeways, how we can utilize the technology in transit and goods movement, to how we consider personal responsibility and liability. That’s our challenge as lawmakers, and one that I’m looking forward to in 2019.