Why public health should embrace the autonomous car

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 5 © 2016 The Authors As the fleet of 56 Google self-driving cars clocks up 1.5 million miles (about 2.5 million kilometres) around the United States,1 the rest of the world is gearing up for the advent of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Substantial investments are being made by both industry (primarily automotive and technology companies) and governments to achieve the enhancements in design and infrastructure that are required to permit large-scale implementation.2,3 Cars are already being produced with a range of autonomous features including cruise control and assisted parking, braking, and lane-keeping.3,4 These features are precursors to the full automation that is expected to ultimately typify private, public and commercial vehicles.4,5