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Here's how the Obama administration wants to regulate self-driving cars
The Obama administration has finally outlined its plans for legislating self-driving cars, a strong indication that automated vehicles will proliferate the highways of tomorrow.
In an unusual step, the President offered his thoughts in a column published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the hometown newspaper for a city that finds itself the unexpected center of the self-driving car movement thanks to a partnership between Uber and Carnegie Melon University. The first self-driving Uber car, a Ford Fusion, is now on the road in Pittsburgh.
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Department of Transportation regulators have so far only offered a relatively high-level view broken down into four key points:
- A 15-point design and development standard for self-driving vehicle safety
- An intention for states to develop a consistent, uniform policy for self-driving cars
- A clarification of how existing regulator rules will be applied to autonomous vehicles
- The potential for future regulations
In terms of vehicle design, the 15-point standard is most crucial to automakers. It places major emphasis on providing protection for passengers in the event of a collision, ensuring that vehicles are not susceptible to hacking attacks, and figuring out how vehicles will interact with each other and with "drivers."
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The DoT's assessment covers "ethical considerations" to address how vehicles will "address conflict dilemmas" on roads.
By no means are today's guidelines comprehensive, but they provide a concrete look at how the federal government will begin to regulate self-driving cars over the next few years. Regulation has long been considered a bigger hurdle than product development, as the self-driving Fusion running around Pittsburgh indicates.
The Obama administration has finally outlined its plans for legislating self-driving cars, a strong indication that automated vehicles will proliferate the highways of tomorrow.
In an unusual step, the President offered his thoughts in a column published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the hometown newspaper for a city that finds itself the unexpected center of the self-driving car movement thanks to a partnership between Uber and Carnegie Melon University. The first self-driving Uber car, a Ford Fusion, is now on the road in Pittsburgh.
ALSO SEE: IIHS calls 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan Top Safety Pick+
Department of Transportation regulators have so far only offered a relatively high-level view broken down into four key points:
A 15-point design and development standard for self-driving vehicle safety
An intention for states to develop a consistent, uniform policy for self-driving cars
A clarification of how existing regulator rules will be applied to autonomous vehicles
The potential for future regulations
In terms of vehicle design, the 15-point standard is most crucial to automakers. It places major emphasis on providing protection for passengers in the event of a collision, ensuring that vehicles are not susceptible to hacking attacks, and figuring out how vehicles will interact with each other and with "drivers."
READ: Ram 1500 vs. Toyota Tundra: Compare Trucks
The DoT's assessment covers "ethical considerations" to address how vehicles will "address conflict dilemmas" on roads.
By no means are today's guidelines comprehensive, but they provide a concrete look at how the federal government will begin to regulate self-driving cars over the next few years. Regulation has long been considered a bigger hurdle than product development, as the self-driving Fusion running around Pittsburgh indicates.
