Abstract

Region-wide restrictions on personal vehicle travel have a long history in the United States, from riot curfews in the late 1960s to travel bans during snow events to the 2013 shelter-in-place “lockdown” during the search for the perpetrator of the Boston Marathon bombing. Because lockdowns require a tremendous amount of resources to enforce, they are often limited in duration or scope. The introduction of automated driving systems may enable governments to quickly and cost-effectively implement large-scale lockdowns by disrupting wireless communications, inserting road closures into digital maps, exploiting a vehicle’s programming to obey all traffic control devices, or coordinating with vehicle manufacturers. Future vehicles may lack conventional controls, rendering them undrivable by the public. As travel restrictions become easier to implement, governments may enforce them more frequently, over longer durations and wider areas. This article examines the practical, legal, and ethical implications of lockdowns in scenarios where most driving is highly automated and offers guidance on the development of lockdown policies.