A committee of Alabama legislators visited Auburn University in January to learn more about the university’s research on self-driving vehicles before lawmakers considered introducing legislation governing autonomous vehicles in the state.

The Alabama Legislative Committee to Study Self-Driving Vehicles, chaired by Sen. Tom Whatley, R-Auburn, heard presentations from experts in the automotive industry and academia, including Auburn Engineering’s David Bevly, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory.

Bevly told lawmakers that self-driving cars present an opportunity to improve safety on state roads. Each year, nearly 40,000 fatalities occur on U.S. roads, with almost 1,000 of those in Alabama. Many of these accidents are due to human error.