Travelers Institute Co-hosts Autonomous Vehicle Symposium at UConn

April 1, 2019

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV), will co-host a conference today with the University of Connecticut at its Storrs campus. The conference, “Putting Humans in the AV Driver’s Seat,” will evaluate the societal impact of autonomous vehicles and address the legal, insurance and regulatory implications of this evolving technology.

“With the adoption of autonomous vehicles expected to accelerate in the coming years, it’s important that we consider now the implications of this technology to society,” said Joan Woodward, President of the Travelers Institute and Executive Vice President of Public Policy at Travelers. “This event brings together experts on the topic of autonomous vehicles to discuss the potential impacts to businesses, consumers and the insurance industry as we move to this next chapter in transportation.”

Today’s symposium will include an interactive town hall session moderated by WNPR’s Lucy Nalpathanchil, the host of “Where We Live,” and a keynote presentation from Harriet Tregoning, Director of the New Urban Mobility Alliance, as well as several panel discussions with speakers including James Anderson, Director of Justice Policy Program, RAND Corporation, and Michelle Raue, Vice President, Lyft.

Panel topics will include:

  • The liability and insurance issues surrounding autonomous vehicles.
  • Human interactions with autonomous vehicle technology.
  • The broad societal impacts of emerging transportation technologies.

“As autonomous technology progresses, we are having ongoing conversations with stakeholders and providing recommendations to prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead,” said Peter Sexton, Associate General Counsel at Travelers, who will participate in today’s panel on liability and insurance. “The current auto insurance framework is designed to adapt to evolving risks, and we believe that it will continue to provide the most efficient and effective way to resolve claims as the world becomes increasingly autonomous.”

The Travelers Institute released a white paper last year, “Insuring Autonomy: How auto insurance can adapt to changing risks,” which presents the company’s assessment of the existing auto insurance structure in the context of autonomous vehicles.

“There’s a lot of discussion about autonomous vehicles, but much of the academic work surrounding them is focused on technology,” said Carol Atkinson-Palombo, Co-director of the University of Connecticut’s Transportation Technology & Society Research Group. “We’re hoping to bring more studied thought and greater scientific understanding to the broader societal impact.”

For more information on today’s event, visit tts.uconn.edu.

About the Travelers Institute
The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc., engages in discussion and analysis of public policy topics of importance to the insurance marketplace and to the financial services industry more broadly. The Travelers Institute draws upon the industry expertise of Travelers’ senior management, as well as the technical expertise of many of Travelers’ underwriters, risk managers and other experts to provide information, analysis and solutions to public policymakers and regulators. Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.

Media:
Stephanie Arpin, 860.277.8876
sarpin@travelers.com

Source: Travelers Institute