States have historically set the rules for licensing drivers, but when the driver becomes a computer “we intend to occupy the field here”, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. Automakers and technology companies such as Google said in statements they prefer a federal approach to a patchwork of state regulation. The president outlined the new rules that the DOT would be releasing today, saying that his administration aims to be flexible in the way that it deals with the nascent technology, so as to not hinder innovation, but also ensure that self-driving cars can be brought to United States highways in a way that can reduce the number of driving deaths, rather than increase them.
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The proposed guidelines are 116 pages long, and cover a wide array of issues surrounding self-driving cars, such as what the vehicle will be programmed to do if a crash is unavoidable, and whether or not AVs should be allowed to speed.
Governor Tom Wolf today applauded the focus on safety in new federal guidelines on automated vehicles that were released this morning.
“Global Automakers welcomes the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) leadership with the release of its automated vehicle guidance and model policy”, John Bozzella, Global Automakers president and CEO, said.
While Obama recognises that in some cases the private sector should be left to develop new technologies on its own, the government needs to oversee certain shifts in how technology is used. And the federal government is preparing to roll out the rules of the road that officials say are needed to make sure automated vehicles are safe, accessible and efficient.
According to the White House Fact Sheet: “DOT is issuing Federal policy to guide the responsible testing and deployment of automated vehicles”.
“NHTSA can not credibly say it is merely recommending voluntary, nonbinding actions and then turn around and tell other government agencies to mandate them”. States were also asked to adopt uniform policies in order to combat growing concerns about state borders creating barriers to the deployment and practical use of autonomous technology.
But “in the seven-and-a-half years of my presidency, self-driving cars have gone from sci-fi fantasy to an emerging reality with the potential to transform the way we live”.
The policy is described by DOT as “a proactive measure”, as opposed to traditional US auto regulation approach of reactive, post-sale enforcement of safety standards. “But we have to get it right”.
“If a self-driving auto isn’t safe, we have the authority to pull it off the road”, he wrote.
The new guidance has also found favour with Consumer Watchdog, a consumer advocacy organization that has repeated called for strict testing and regulatory schemes to govern the development of self-driving vehicles.
The new rules apply to vehicles that can take full operational control in “at least some circumstances”, the department said in a fact sheet, and are meant to balance safety and innovation.
One of the great questions hanging over self-driving cars is the attitude that government regulators will take toward them.
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While the guidelines express confidence in the potential for autonomous technology to increase safety, the government attempted to stop short of regulating the cars too narrowly.
