Autonomous vehicles will soon become a significant presence on streets and highways-not just a novel experiment. By reducing congestion and virtually eliminating vehicle accidents, their emergence represents a watershed moment in the history of transportation that promises to vastly improve road travel, generate huge benefits for travelers and businesses, and spur economic growth.

But Winston and Karpilow stress that policymakers at all levels of government must play a part by taking prompt and effective actions to ensure that autonomous vehicles will be safe and efficient when the public begins to adopt them widely. The coronavirus ravaging the world has given new urgency and importance to expediting the adoption of autonomous vehicles so that they can facilitate social distancing and reduce the disruption of economic and other activities.