Autonomous Vehicle Advocates Press White House for Coordinated, National Rules

Autonomous Vehicles

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee held a hearing Wednesday (Feb. 2) on the “road ahead for automated vehicles,” where most of the participants highlighted the need to adopt new rules for autonomous vehicles (AV), with differences in what is the most important area to regulate.  

Ariel Wolf, general counsel of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, which includes as members Ford, Waymo, Lyft, Volvo, Uber or Cruise, said new rules are needed to remove barriers to the deployment of AV technology.   

According to Wolf, autonomous vehicles are safer than human-operated vehicles and they will help to reduce the number of fatalities in U.S. roads, which raised 18.4% in the first six months of 2021. Additionally, AVs will expand mobility options for all Americans, including in rural areas, and even help consumers to save in transportation. Data brought by Wolf suggested that AVs could reduce average household cost in transportation by $5,600 per year if consumers rely on shared fleets of AVs. 

But to achieve these goals, he said, the industry needs to increase consumer trust in AVs and a national framework that supports AVs to seize this “momentous opportunity.” 

Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, agreed that federal legislation and government rulemaking is needed to guarantee the “safe and equitable development and requirements for proven technology to reduce crashes and save lives.” Chase argued that AVs may bring, in a distant future, meaningful societal benefits and improvements to public safety but it will require “implementing and enforcing mandatory comprehensive safeguards to ensure AV technology is safe.” Chase also suggested the government adopt minimum standards to ensure ongoing safe performance and reliability.  

Scott Marler, director for the Iowa Department of Transportation, also supported the deployment of AV technology. He explained how Iowa enacted state laws that support the adoption of AV technology, where it is currently legal for “driverless” cars to operate in Iowa’s roads. However, Marler also stated that “there is an urgent need for a coordinated national strategy” developed collaboratively with federal agencies, industry and local governments.

Most of the participants in the hearing highlighted the benefits of AVs and the need for the U.S. to make sure that the country still leads the international race in this new technology while ensuring safety for drivers and road users. One concern that was also raised by several members was the impact that this technology may have on a workforce that may have difficulties retraining if they lose their jobs.  

Read more: UK Law Could Hold Automakers, Software Firms Accountable in Autonomous Cars

The U.S. may be lagging when it comes to regulation that supports AV technology. Two of the leading countries on AV deployment are China and Singapore, where governments have authorized pilot tests and have opened many public roads for AV testing. Singapore even has a commercial autonomous commuter bus available for residents for a small fee. 

In Europe, Germany and France has passed laws to amend national road traffic laws to allow certain AV technology deployments. In the U.K., the Law Commission of England and Wales along with the Scottish Law commission recommended new laws to regulate AVs, suggesting even that carmakers and software companies should be held accountable for potential traffic accidents or offenses when the car is in full driverless mode. 

 

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