Private Roadways = No Motor Vehicle Laws

On your driveway, inside a college campus, or within a private retirement community's gates, regular motor vehicle and speed laws do not apply.These private roads are regulated and policed by their owners or whoever has legal control of those grounds. Two international examples show how autonomous vehicle (AV) companies are taking advantage of these self-regulating roadways because the technology, thus far, is ahead of legislators and regulators.

Kiwi AVs soon to spread

A report out of the New Zealand states that a homegrown company has gone big into AV shuttles and is about to launch regular service at the Christchurch airport. HMI Technologies was a partner in an AV pilot at the airport, but then it went out and manufactured its own vehicles, which it plans to deploy in the near term on private roads, but, as this September 2017 video shows, its ambitious involve public roadways as well.

College campus in China

With an EasyMile logo on the front of this AV shuttle, Southeast University in Nanjing is beginning campus AV service. At least for now, rides are fare free for students and staff; no word on tourist access. Nanjing is west of Shanghai and the city has a population of over eight million people.