VEHICLE RENTAL LAWS: ROAD BLOCKS TO EVOLVING MOBILITY MODELS? WESLEY D. HURST† AND LESLIE J. PUJO†* Cite as: Wesley D. Hurst & Leslie Pujo, Vehicle Rental Laws: Road Blocks to Evolving Mobility Models?, 2019 J. L. & MOB. 73. This manuscript may be accessed online at https://futurist.law.umich.edu and at https://repository.law.umich.edu/jlm/. I. INTRODUCTION The laws and regulations governing mobility are inconsistent and antiquated and should be modernized to encourage innovation as we prepare for an autonomous car future. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) has concluded that Autonomous Vehicles, or Highly Automated Vehicles (“HAVs”) may “prove to be the greatest personal transportation revolution since the popularization of the personal automobile nearly a century ago”.1 Preparation for a HAV world is underway as the mobility industry evolves and transforms itself at a remarkable pace. New mobility platforms are becoming more convenient, more automated and † Wes Hurst is an attorney with a nationwide Mobility and Vehicle Use Practice. He represents rental car companies, carsharing companies, automobile manufacturers and companies pursuing new and emerging business models related to mobility and the use of vehicles. Wes is a frequent speaker and author on mobility related topics. Wes is in the Los Angeles office of Polsinelli and can be reached at
[email protected]. † Leslie Pujo is a Partner with Plave Koch PLC in Reston, Virginia. In her Mobility and Vehicle Use Practice, Leslie regularly represents mobility operators of all types, including car rental companies, RV rental companies, automobile manufacturers and dealers, carsharing companies and other emerging models.