One self-driving technology expert said the overall tenor of the guidance signaled that the federal government truly has embraced autonomous driving.
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The guidelines include testing, backup systems in the case of a self-driving computer failure, and recording and sharing data. But it’s unclear that companies will be willing to share this information without a fight.
Automakers should also be allowed to self-certify the safety of autonomous vehicles while following a 15-point list of targets for safe design, development, testing and deployment, said officials who briefed reporters.
That’s why my administration is rolling out new rules of the road for automated vehicles – guidance that the manufacturers developing self-driving cars should follow to keep us safe.
During an embargoed press conference earlier this afternoon discussing rules that will be fully published tomorrow morning, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx discussed how these new rules will prioritize safety and sustainability, and help usher in a sea change in US transportation (one being contemplated on all levels of government).
The Obama administration is trying to check as many policy boxes as it can on the way out of the door, and today it finally announced a flexible framework for companies and governments involved in developing self-driving cars. “We will review the details once they are available”.
A self-driving auto sounds like science fiction, but for Uber passengers in Pittsburgh, that’s exactly what might pick them up starting September 14.
The government “envisions a future where you can take your hand off the wheel, and the wheel out of the vehicle, where your commute becomes productive, or restful”, said Jeffrey Zients, Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an arm of the Transportation Department, sees driverless development as part of its mission. And if done properly, they say the new vehicles will save time, money and lives. They plan on publishing the responses they receive in an annual report. It also has guidelines covering the system’s user interface and its ability to protect a user’s privacy.
That’s not to say the feds will have an easy time getting manufacturers to cough up their data.
Google criticized California previous year when the state proposed draft rules requiring steering wheels and a licensed driver in all self-driving cars. Their squirming under questioning hinted at future conflicts down the road. He said that’s why the new policy “is flexible and created to evolve with new advances”. “None of these [safety points] have standards associated with them”, Lewis said. This ensures that companies and Americans understand our expectations around safety. “It’s hard to judge what the value of this is”.
The federal guidelines are meant to outline best practices for the safe design, development and testing of automated vehicles prior to commercial sale or operation on public roads.
Automakers particularly have pushed for NHTSA to release standards that states could follow for the testing and implementation of self-driving vehicles – and avoid a patchwork of state laws regulating the rapidly changing technology of the autonomous revolution. This policy governs how to inspect and license self-driving cars, as well as law enforcement and insurance considerations.
In late August, the Chinese internet firm Baidu became the latest company to be awarded a test-vehicle permit by the state of California.
General Motors also said it supports DOT’s and NHTSA’s efforts to speed deployment of autonomous vehicles. “But we have to get it right”, he added. This includes significant tasks such as approving post-sale software updates, and sending cease-and-desist letters when the agency determines if a manufacturer needs to take immediate action due to “imminent hazards”. “What’s more, the quickest way to slam the brakes on innovation is for the public to lose confidence in the safety of new technologies”.
“We recognize that this is not the last step the department is going to take on autonomous vehicles, Foxx said”.
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The guidelines will be updated annually, if needed, by DOT and NHTSA based on public comment, industry feedback and real-world experiences. While the first iterations of self-driving cars by Google, Ford, GM and now Uber are programmed to operate very cautiously, there is still wide uncertainty over how human-driven vehicles will react to software-driven vehicles.
