The Regulation of the Automobile

The automobile, since its widespread adoption, has changed the way we live in virtually all aspects of our lives: where we live, how and what we eat and shop for, where and what we do for work, where and how we vacation and more. The relationship of the automobile to the governmental jurisdictions in which cars and trucks operate has evolved as the automobile has increased in the centrality of our lives. This course will explore two ways in which the government has regulated the automobile and the ways in which that regulation is and will have to change as automotive technology evolves. The first is automotive safety and the second is automotive pollution from the vehicles themselves. Both of these categories of regulation face two of the largest technological transformations since the automobile was invented: the automation of many driving functions (even in some instances the complete driving function) and the shift from internal combustion to electricity as the means of powering vehicles. In addition to exploring how government has historically regulated these two regulatory efforts, the seminar will explore how regulation should address new technologies in the context of existing statutory authority and legal doctrine.

The course will include several guest speakers from government and industry.