Chicago can't close the door on our driverless future

Like any other major U.S. city, Chicago is not without infrastructure woes. Track maintenance and repairs have shut down large portions of the Chicago Transit Authority system for months at a time, snarling highway traffic and disrupting commuting schedules for hundreds of thousands of people.

Self-driving cars and other tech advances could help alleviate many driver pain points for Chicago-area residents. But a recent proposal by Alderman Edward Burke would ban driverless cars for testing and personal use on city streets.

This proposal is hasty, and an example of blind legislation without true understanding, which will leave Chicago behind other cities in benefiting from a self-driving future.

More than 450 miles away, Pittsburgh is in a similar situation when it comes to infrastructure upkeep. The city is constantly repairing and maintaining its signature bridges and tunnels as the result of age and weather damage.

But in Pittsburgh's case, the city is taking a decidedly different approach, embracing the future and allowing Uber to test self-driving cars on its roadways as a means of increasing mobility for residents.

As Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto told The New York Times, "You can either put up red tape or roll out the red carpet. If you want to be a 21st-century laboratory for technology, you put out the carpet."

Each year, the Consumer Technology Association's Innovation Scorecard ranks states according to their policies on technology and innovation. The most recent report classified Illinois in the next-to-lowest category after the state enacted restrictive policies in areas including drone usage, sustainability and ride-sharing.

The next Innovation Scorecard will also measure a state's openness to self-driving car testing and technology, and Illinois' reputation may suffer even further if it bans driverless technology.

Driverless cars will transform our roads in life-changing ways. More than eight in 10 drivers surveyed by the association in a new study said they're excited that self-driving vehicles will reduce accidents caused by aggressive driving or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and will bring down the cost of their car insurance - two common pain points among drivers today.

Self-driving cars will streamline traffic and reduce carbon emissions. They'll open new transportation options to people who aren't licensed to drive, including seniors and some people with disabilities. And they'll reduce insurance premiums by as much as 40 percent.

We're still years away from a fully self-driving reality. In the meantime, driver-assist technologies such as automatic braking and lane-drift avoidance - already widely available in newer-model cars - are helping drivers stay safer on the road. And given that more than 90 percent of car crashes are caused by human error, the faster we can transition to self-driving technologies, the safer we'll all be.

Alderman Burke says he doesn't want "the streets of Chicago used as an experiment that will no doubt come with its share of risks." But he's failing to see the change happening all around him.

Recently, the federal agency that oversees motor vehicle and highway safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said that when self-driving software is operating a vehicle, NHTSA intends to regulate - and that when a human driver is operating a car, state law would apply.

The new federal framework helps resolve the foreseeable state battles that seem to restrict the latest car technology. Had NHTSA not drawn the lines of jurisdiction between the federal and state governments, the future of self-driving cars would be mired in a patchwork of laws that could inhibit innovation and, most importantly, make it nearly impossible for driverless cars to cross state lines.

The federal guidance comes as public attitudes are evolving. The association's recent research finds that most drivers - more than 60 percent - are interested in replacing their current vehicle with a completely self-driving vehicle.

Change can be hard. The technology industry embraces the mantra "Innovate or Die!" to reflect how legacy businesses that refuse to adapt to change are often displaced by new, faster and more efficient products and services.

Regulators struggle with change, too. But the association survey confirms that drivers understand how self-driving cars will save them time, money and stress - and, critically, save lives. And as more drivers recognize this, they will demand the opportunity to enjoy these benefits in their own cities.

Manufacturers are working with government and consumers on this transition to ensure the public will be comfortable accepting this new age of safety and mobility. Pittsburgh's embrace of innovation - combined with Carnegie Mellon University's strong history of research - has attracted scientists and technologists to the area.

Other cities would be wise to follow Pittsburgh's example. Economic benefits abound from companies such as Uber's establishing testing centers there. The residents of Chicago cannot afford to be left out of this new era altogether.

Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, a U.S. trade association representing more than 2,200 consumer technology companies.