Listen to the article 6 minutes This audio is automatically generated, please let us know if you have any feedback.
Dive Overview:
Automotive trade groups are calling on the U.S. Department of Transportation to propose federal regulations that would make it easier for automakers to deploy self-driving cars on U.S. roads, according to a joint letter sent Thursday by 18 groups, including the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, the Consumer Technology Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The groups expressed support for a safety, transparency and evaluation program for vehicles equipped with self-driving systems, as suggested by Interim National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator Anne Carlson at the Automated Highway Transportation Symposium in July. NHTSA was scheduled to release its proposal in November, but has not done so, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Dive Insights:
Federal and state policymakers, including legislators and regulators, may become more skeptical of AVs, slowing their deployment and adoption.
The NHTSA began investigating Cruise, General Motors’ self-driving subsidiary, in December 2022 after multiple accidents in which vehicles from the company stalled and created dangerous situations for passengers and other road users.
Government investigations into the safety of Cruise’s vehicles were expanded in October after one of the company’s driverless robot taxis struck a pedestrian in San Francisco, severely injuring him.
Following the incident, the California Department of Transportation suspended Cruise’s permits to operate and test driverless vehicles in the state, and GM halted production of the Cruise Origin in November. Cruise co-founder and former CEO Kyle Vogt resigned from the company shortly thereafter. By the end of November, GM CEO Mary Barra said the company would “significantly reduce spending on the Cruise expansion in 2024.”
Last month, 26 labor unions sent a letter to the Department of Transportation and NHTSA calling for increased federal oversight and investigation of self-driving car companies.
Tesla is also dealing with numerous federal and state investigations related to its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving advanced driver-assistance systems. On Tuesday, the company announced it would recall more than 2 million vehicles over safety concerns about its Autopilot system.
Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz received certification for its conditional autonomous driving system, DrivePilot, in California in June, becoming the first automaker to introduce an SAE Level 3 system intended for use on public roads in the state.
States are primarily responsible for regulating autonomous vehicles under a 2016 guidance policy from the Department of Transportation that has been updated several times, most recently by the Trump Administration in January 2021. More than 30 states allow the testing or full deployment of EVs on roads, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
But standardizing these rules could allow automakers to test and deploy vehicles nationwide.
Carlson said in July that the growing adoption of self-driving cars and new safety and data requirements will help automakers, researchers and policymakers better understand the potential impacts of using self-driving cars on public roads.
Under AV STEP, NHTSA will allow companies to apply to deploy non-compliant vehicles equipped with automated driving systems that lack the mirrors, sun visors, windshield wipers, and other amenities required for a human driver. Operators can also apply for exemptions for vehicles equipped with compliant ADSs if they believe participation would benefit their company.
“By allowing the deployment of exempt ADS vehicles under conditions that include requirements to demonstrate safety and provide information about the vehicle’s operation and deployment, we believe AV STEP will result in a wealth of data being made public,” Carlson said. “We also believe the program will increase transparency about AV safety and deployment and provide assurance to the public that NHTSA is overseeing the deployment of AVs on public roads.”
“The AV industry is at a critical crossroads and deserves strong leadership from the U.S. Department of Transportation,” the auto trade groups said in a joint letter, arguing that greater adoption of AVs could improve road safety, access, equity and freight transportation, while also reducing emissions.
The letter also touted the Biden administration’s desire to counter and curb China’s economic and industrial power.
“The United States is at a critical crossroads in the race to develop autonomous vehicles, as countries such as China are aggressively investing and advancing the technology,” the letter said.
Federal lawmakers are also considering legislation to establish a nationwide regulatory framework for self-driving cars.
But in a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this year, more than two dozen safety groups urged lawmakers not to “move forward with legislation that would turn our nation’s public roads into private testing grounds and encourage the public to oppose this technology.”
“If developed and deployed with appropriate safety measures and consideration of broader societal impacts, autonomous systems have the potential to have positive outcomes across the transportation system,” a Department of Transportation spokesperson said in an email. “However, these outcomes are not inherent to the technology. The ultimate impacts on safety, mobility, emissions, workforce, etc. will be the result of engineering, deployment, and policy choices.”
