Electronic Network News: On Wednesday, a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives approved a major proposal that would allow automakers to deploy up to 100,000 autonomous vehicles for testing without meeting all current vehicle safety standards. The bill also aims to prevent states from enforcing their own driverless car regulations on these test vehicles.
Republican Congressman Robert Latta, who leads a subcommittee under the Energy and Commerce Committee focused on consumer protection, stated that the full committee will vote on the proposal next week. He emphasized that further refinements may still be made before the final decision is reached.
If the proposal passes the upcoming vote, it will then be sent to the full House of Representatives for approval. However, this process is expected to occur after September, as the House will be in recess during the summer and won’t reconvene until later in the year.
This measure marks the first significant federal regulation aimed at accelerating the commercialization of self-driving cars in the U.S. If passed into law, automakers would no longer need to seek government approval for testing advanced technologies—only a safety assessment report would be required.
The draft released earlier this week requires automakers to demonstrate that autonomous vehicles are "normal and include fail-safe features." However, the Department of Transportation must not impose additional conditions when reviewing these safety reports.
The urgency of this issue has grown due to alarming statistics: in 2015, over 35,200 people died in traffic accidents in the U.S., a 7.7% increase from the previous year—the highest annual rise since 1966. In the first nine months of 2016, the number of traffic fatalities climbed nearly 8%, according to official data.
Current U.S. federal auto safety laws prohibit selling self-driving cars that don’t require manual control. Automakers must meet nearly 75 safety standards, many of which assume a human driver with a valid license is always present.
Companies like General Motors, Alphabet, Ford, and Tesla have been actively lobbying Congress, pushing for federal legislation to provide clarity and consistency. They worry that some states, like California, might impose restrictions on testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles.
The proposal allows states to set rules on registration, licensing, liability, insurance, and safety inspections for self-driving cars, but they cannot establish performance standards for these vehicles.
Auto dealers are hoping the final bill will clarify that this move won’t interfere with existing state franchise laws, which often restrict automakers from selling directly to consumers.
The Consumer Union criticized the proposal, calling for more revisions to ensure that automakers can prove the safety of self-driving cars and avoid exposing consumers to greater risks in case of accidents. They oppose limiting state authority without strong federal safety standards.
Last year, the Obama administration introduced voluntary guidelines for self-driving cars, requiring manufacturers to submit a 15-point safety assessment. Now, under the Trump administration, the Secretary of Transportation has announced plans to update these guidelines in the coming months.
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