Elliot Katz, Co Founder/Head of Business, Legal, and Policy, Phantom Auto, talks with Jeff Frick at Phantom Auto's Headquarters in Mountain View, California #InnovationSeries #theCUBE https://siliconangle.com/2018/01/30/the-human-drivers-behind-autonomous-cars-phantom-auto-races-towards-the-future-phantomautoinnovationday/ Optimism about government approval Because it has the largest number of registered cars in the nation, California offers a key benchmark for determining the regulatory future of autonomous vehicles. The state issued draft regulations governing the testing and deployment of driverless cars last year that allowed for the removal of a human driver during testing on the roads but required a communications and control link using remote operators. There are also bills in Congress that could follow California’s lead and mandate regulations for driverless cars. “We might have the rare scenario where the regulation outpaces the technology, which is a good problem to have,” Katz said. “We expect that one [bill] will go the distance this year.” Behind Phantom Auto’s confidence in its business model is a belief that ultimately regulators and passengers will accept a driverless solution because it’s a safer alternative to the situation today. Data shows that 1.2 million people worldwide are dying every year in traffic accidents, which is the equivalent of eight 747 airplanes crashing every single day for 12 straight months, according to Katz. “If we had that happen even for just two weeks in the U.S., aviation wouldn’t exist as we know it,” Katz said. “These are lifesaving vehicles, and we want these out on the road as quickly as possible.”