A Self-Driving Car Boom Could Slash Police Budgets

Self-driving cars could cost police a lot of money raised from traffic tickets.

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The potential of autonomous cars has raised many questions. How will they decide who to save in a car accident? What happens if they break the law? And what will happen to police budgets, which rely heavily on traffic fines?

Those budgets could be crippled, a Network World user points out. Colin Neagle parallels autonomous cars with legalizing marijuana. A drug task force in Washington, one of two states with legalized marijuana, reduced its budget forecast by 15 percent in anticipation of the decrease in seizures from arrests. Similarly, police departments could miss out on large amounts of money because self-driving cars would stick to the speed limit. Traffic tickets generate $6.2 billion per year, according to U.S. Highway Patrol estimates. 

We're still a long way from self-driving cars taking over the roads, but this revenue decrease is worth considering. However, we're not going to go as far as Washington police and suggest that progress should be avoided to keep money streams for the police. 

RELATED: What Happens When an Autonomous Car Breaks the Law?
RELATED: The University of Michigan is Dropping $6 Million for Self-Driving Car Research

[via Network World]

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