Autonomous shuttle buses become the new Las Vegas wedding venue
Las Vegas is well-known for spontaneous weddings, Elvis impersonators, and bright lights, but now, autonomous vehicles are also entering the wedding market.
Featured
The American Automobile Association (AAA) Nevada is exploring whether or not autonomous vehicles and self-driving shuttles could become Las Vegas' new answer to drive-thru weddings, with the launch of a competition for would-be bride and grooms.
This week, the AAA launched a competition for a couple to become the first to be married on the AAA Free Self-Driving Shuttle in Las Vegas.
The shuttle is a free service for Las Vegas visitors to board at the Downtown Container Park, with stops at the Fremont Street Experience and The Donut Bar. In total, passengers can pass eight city intersections, six traffic lights, and two stop signs -- all without a driver.
CNET: Uber's driverless cars said to lag behind competitors
"For the past 100 years, AAA has been committed to the safety of Members and the public out on the road," the organization says. "AAA believes that autonomous technology has potential to reduce traffic accidents, most of which are caused by human error. The AAA self-driving shuttle in Las Vegas allows you to experience exciting autonomous vehicle technology firsthand and voice your opinions on the experience."
In what AAA calls the "wedding of the future" and potentially what will be the first time recorded of a couple marrying on a self-driving vehicle, the organization is asking competitors to submit an essay on why they should be the first to be married on the shuttle.
TechRepublic: Transportation tech such as autonomous vehicles and dockless bikes critical to Austin, Texas
The winners will be married in the vehicle -- while it is stationary -- at the Container Park, before performing several loops around areas of the city neighborhood.
An AAA spokesperson told Review Journal that the competition is more than just an interesting story about getting hitched, as it is "also a way to help people think more broadly and practically about how the technology will improve their daily lives."
With Ford exploring how autonomous cars can be used to deliver pizza in Miami, why not weddings in Las Vegas, too?
See also: Ford's self-driving cars to become Miami's new pizza delivery guy
Entries must be submitted by 20 June.