Under the Obama administration’s new guidelines, which will require companies building self-driving cars to share extensive vehicle data with the federal government, the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urged the adoption of uniform rules across the country.
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“The quickest way to slam the brakes on innovation is for the public to lose confidence in the safety of new technologies”, Obama wrote in a column for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where Uber deployed a fleet of self-driving a cars in August – albeit with an Uber engineer in each vehicle – to test its new technology on a commercial platform.
Uber aims to open a new research centre in metro Detroit by the end of this year to accommodate increased work with auto suppliers and other technology companies involved in autonomous vehicle development, Sherif Marakby, Uber vice president for global vehicle development, said at a conference in Novi, Michigan yesterday. Yet having officially endorsed the fast- evolving technology, regulators must now balance the commercial interests of companies including Tesla, Google and Uber with concerns over public safety, especially in the light of recent crashes involving semi-autonomous cars.
The regulatory agency says any business that wants to transport people for money has to prove it’s safe and get approval before starting the service.
Uber, the ride-hailing giant, began trials in Pittsburgh last week to let its most loyal customers order rides from driverless cars through their smartphone app. Google has been testing self-driving cars in its hometown, Mountain View, California, and rivals including Apple are also exploring similar technology.
Foxx said states would continue to regulate the licensing of drivers and insurance. “What we are trying to do is avoid a patchwork of state laws”, U.S. Department of Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement Monday.
One self-driving technology expert said the overall tenor of the guidance signaled that the federal government truly has embraced autonomous driving. “We also look forward to collaborating with states on areas that complement this national framework”.
Some consumer advocates have objected to voluntary guidelines instead of safety rules that are legally enforceable.
Autonomous cars might sound like a futuristic pipedream, but the reality is far more mundane. While stressing the importance of regulation, he said any guidelines should not inhibit the industry with over-regulation.
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“It helps companies by providing some cover. Now its up to us to keep driving toward a better future for everyone”.
