The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) recently filed comments asserting that lack of transparency in federal transportation agencies violates the agency’s mission statements and is dangerous to the public when it comes to integrating autonomous or Automated Driving Systems (ADS) into trucking.
The comments were made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding its Framework for Automated Driving System Safety.
“The potential introduction of (autonomous vehicles) on the nation’s highways invites more questions than answers,” Todd Spencer, OOIDA president, said. “As autonomous technology develops, such as with companies like TuSimple, we are concerned that federal regulators will push for more technology as the solution to the industry’s safety and workforce issues without considering the negative impacts of these technologies.”
NHTSA and the U.S. Department of Transportation must employ standards based on verified research and testing data, OOIDA said. This is evident from the crashes involving ADS failures on the nation’s roads.
OOIDA used the example of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system, which it feels NHTSA failed to exercise sufficient oversight on. Tesla submitted vague information about the reliability of its automated technologies, but there are no comprehensive reporting requirements. This makes it difficult to determine what types of accidents, crashes, or injuries this technology causes.