After recalls and bankruptcies, can we trust auto giants to guide us safely to autonomous future?

Our conversation with Sonari Glinton. He's a NPR Business Desk Correspondent based at the NPR West bureau.

Last week the U.S. Secretary of TransportationAnthony Foxxmade the rounds through the news outlets, excitedly talking about new guidelines for autonomous cars.But Foxx admitted there's a lot not covered in the guidelines because there's a lot the auto industry and the government have yet to figure out.

NPR’sSonari Glintonjoined us today to talk about the secretary’s comments, and the ongoing push toward autonomous vehicles.

“There’s a real sense in the auto industry, not just in the government, that this is extremely important,” Glinton said. “Safety is important, and that’s really what autonomous vehicles are about.”

While it’ll probably take some convincing to get your average commuter to give up the wheel, Glinton expects that we’ll see autonomous vehicles become a dominant presence in shipping and delivery services within the next five years.

Listen to our conversation above for more.

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