A decade ago, autonomous vehicles (AVs) seemed like a futuristic gimmick, out of reach.

Today, however – although the word “autonomous” might suggest otherwise – most people drive some sort of AV. Various rate filings, both for commercial and private passenger auto, give an idea of how autonomous vehicles are being priced with regard to insurance. Although rate filings do not exist for fully autonomous vehicles, many filings offer discounts for having an autonomous feature attached to the vehicle.

This raises the question – would fully autonomous vehicles be even more cost-effective with regard to insurance?

On March 18th a transportation network company’s (TNC) self-driving car hit and killed a woman in Arizona. This crash brings up insurance questions similar to those generated by the December 31, 2013 fatal accident that first brought the issue of ridesharing and insurance into the spotlight. Transportation network companies wanted personal insurers to cover the exposure, but insurance industry trade groups believed commercial insurance should apply from app on to app off. This led insurance trade groups, insurers and TNCs to develop a compromise model bill. Since then, 48 states and the District of Columbia  have enacted TNC legislation. It also prompted insurers to create new products for TNC drivers.