Kean Says Task Force Report Maps Road Ahead for Driverless Vehicles in New Jersey

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean said a report from the New Jersey Autonomous Vehicle Task Force has mapped the road ahead for bringing driverless vehicles to New Jersey.

“We’ve been working for close to a decade to ensure that the Garden State is a leader in advancing driverless vehicle technology and the many benefits it may provide to New Jerseyans,” said Kean (R-21). “In working towards that goal, it was apparent that we needed a comprehensive plan to allow autonomous vehicles to operate safely and legally on our roads. The task force we created has studied the issue in depth and given us thoughtful recommendations to consider and act upon.”

Kean was a prime sponsor of the bipartisan resolution in 2019 which created the “New Jersey Advanced Autonomous Vehicle Task Force.”

Under SJR-105, which was signed into law on March 18, 2019, the eleven member task force was established to assess advanced autonomous vehicles and make recommendations on laws, rules, and regulations that New Jersey may enact or adopt to safely integrate advanced autonomous vehicles on the State’s highways, streets, and roads.

This week, the task force delivered its final report to the Legislature with detailed recommendations based on the guiding principles of prioritizing safety, remaining technology neutral, encouraging a consistent regulatory and operational environment, and preparing proactively for automation.

“Driverless vehicles have the potential to revolutionize our transportation industry, provide a new form mobility and increased independence to the disability and senior communities, and make our roads safer for everyone,” added Kean. “We know autonomous vehicle technology is rapidly advancing, and I’m glad New Jersey lawmakers have shown that we’re able to keep pace. If we continue to be proactive, we’ll ensure that New Jersey is a national leader in both the research and the deployment of driverless cars.”

Kean first introduced legislation in 2013 to make New Jersey a hub for the development, testing, and implementation of driverless vehicles.