Robert Melvin, Northeast Region Director at the R Street Institute, testified before the Virginia House Transportation Committee’s Innovations Subcommittee in support of Senate Bill 670. The bill seeks to create a regulatory framework for fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Virginia, permitting their commercial use without a human driver as long as they comply with federal safety standards and state traffic laws.
Melvin explained that SB 670 would establish an AV-specific license through the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, clarify insurance and legal responsibilities, set statewide safety requirements, and prevent local jurisdictions from banning AV operations. He stated that this initiative could position Virginia as a leader in autonomous vehicle technology while addressing several transportation-related challenges facing the state.
He noted recent increases in traffic fatalities in Virginia, rising from 847 deaths in 2020 to 918 in 2024, according to the Virginia Highway Safety Office (https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/documents/VA-traffic-crash-2024.pdf). Melvin attributed many of these incidents to human error such as drunk driving and distraction. He also pointed out worsening congestion: Virginia’s ranking dropped from 24th to 37th for overall highway performance and cost-effectiveness between recent annual reports (https://reason.org/highway-report/28th-annual-highway-report/virginia/).
Traffic congestion has financial implications for Virginians, costing drivers between $850 and $2,600 annually depending on their location within the state (https://www.13newsnow.com/article/traffic/hampton-roads-worst-traffic-impacts-in-virginia/291-8f3ee1d0-7f86-44ce-b70d-99830f239b31#:~:text=HAMPTON%2C%20Va.,not%20much%20better%20in%20comparison;https://wtop.com/dc-transit/2020/02/traffic-rough-roads-cost-average-no-va-driver-102-hours-2600-a-year/). While Melvin acknowledged that SB 670 would not solve every issue, he said it offers “a potential path towards alleviating these challenges.”
According to Melvin, research indicates that when autonomous vehicles lead human-driven cars in traffic flow scenarios, fuel usage drops by 42 percent and stop-and-go traffic is eliminated (https://ce.berkeley.edu/news/2537). Studies cited by Melvin suggest that fully autonomous vehicles are substantially safer than those driven by humans. A Swiss Re study found an 88 percent reduction in property damage claims and a 92 percent reduction in bodily injury claims over more than 25 million miles driven by robo-taxis (https://waymo.com/research/do-autonomous-vehicles-outperform-latest-generation-human-driven-vehicles-25-million-miles/). Additional analysis concluded AVs are about ten times safer than human-operated vehicles (https://humanprogress.org/waymo-drivers-are-way-safer-10x-than-humans), with safety records improving rapidly.
Further evidence showed AVs had fewer police-reported crashes—62 percent lower—and significant reductions in crash injuries and airbag deployments compared to typical drivers (https://waymo.com/safety/impact/). Given that annual medical costs from U.S. traffic accidents reach around $23 billion each year, reducing collisions by up to 90 percent could cut those expenses by roughly $20.7 billion annually (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8885781/).
Melvin also highlighted potential economic benefits for Virginia if SB 670 passes. One analysis projects the national AV market could add up to 455,000 new jobs over fifteen years—about 190 jobs per thousand deployed vehicles (https://progresschamber.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Opportunity-AV-How-Many-and-What-Type-of-Jobs-Will-Be-Created-by-Autonomous-Vehicles.pdf). He argued that this legislation could reinforce Virginia’s status as a technology hub known as “Silicon Valley east,” attracting further investment (https://chiefexecutive.net/talent-and-innovation-how-virginia-is-meeting-the-tech-moment/amp/) .
Currently, twenty-six other states have approved similar measures allowing AV operation on public roads (https://books.venable.com/Autonomous-Vehicles/4/) .
“SB 670 stands to improve road safety, ease traffic congestion, and support innovation-driven economic growth,” Melvin told lawmakers. “Accordingly, we urge the committee to issue a favorable report on House Bill 670.”
