Arizonans are living in the future, and many in our community may not even know it.It’s become such a part of our everyday lives that you need to look closely to realize there’s no one behind the wheel of some cars gliding down streets like Camelback Road and navigating the intricacies of Phoenix traffic at rush hour.While many other states remain paralyzed by the thought of reconciling technology with older infrastructure, Arizona has done something remarkable: It has embraced rather than shunned self-driving car technology, creating a model rooted in innovation, regulatory humility and the principles of freedom.This was no accident.Arizona protects safety without stifling innovationIt came from deliberate leadership, according to a new report from the Goldwater Institute, where I work. In 2015, then-Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order launching Arizona’s experiment in what’s been labeled permissionless innovation — the idea that regulatory frameworks should default to openness, transparency and stability.Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.Rather than allowing bureaucrats to imagine dangers for them to act against, the order required regulators to demonstrate tangible harm before intervening.The Arizona model — now codified into law — has positioned our state as a leader in innovation while keeping our communities safe by mandating that autonomous vehicle companies meet federal safety standards, respond intelligently to system failures, and maintain full compliance with traffic laws and insurance requirements.Yet it avoids the reflexive overreach that has plagued other states, where layers of local and state mandates often unintentionally work together to render innovation nearly impossible.In Arizona, regulatory authority is streamlined at the state level, ensuring safety while avoiding the policy fragmentation that too often creates complicated webs of regulation that stops companies from deploying new technologies before they can even start.Waymo vehicles crash much less than we doThe results speak for themselves.As of 2024, 13 companies are actively testing and deploying autonomous vehicles across Arizona’s roads. Waymo alone has logged more than 20 million autonomous miles in the Phoenix metro area, with peer-reviewed data revealing a dramatic reduction in crashes.That includes 81% fewer airbag deployments and 78% fewer injury-causing collisions compared to human drivers over the same distance, Waymo reports.But autonomous vehicles do more than reduce risk on the roads.Opinion: AI fights fires and drives cars. Soon, it’ll do our jobsFor older adults, people who are blind and those with other disabilities, these vehicles can offer long-overdue freedom and independence. When designed with accessibility in mind — and through strategic partnerships with organizations such as the National Federation of the Blind — companies like Waymo are engineering vehicles that do more than drive: they communicate, accommodate and adapt to meet riders where they are.A freedom once dependent on others can now be self-directed.Arizona leads on autonomous vehicles, regulationArizona has earned this success by doing the opposite of our neighbors to the west in California, where multiple gove …
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