U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Bill Nelson (D-FL) and
John Thune (R-SD) recently released guidelines for the legislation of autonomous vehicles before the official hearing earlier this week.
The hearing, Paving the Way for Self-Driving Vehicles, was held by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
“Self-driving vehicles will not only dramatically change how we get from place to place, they have the potential to prevent accidents and save thousands of lives,” Peters said. “I’m pleased we have compiled this bipartisan framework, which is an important step toward introducing and enacting meaningful legislation that will help the federal government promote the safe development and adoption of self-driving vehicles and ensure the United States remains the world leader in transportation innovation.”
While the senators will continue to work on finalizing legislation, no deadline has been set for the its introduction.
The guidelines for legislation include:
Regulations pertaining to traditional vehicles do not apply to self-driving vehicles. Regulations must be written that address safety, but do not stifle innovation.
Congress must avoid favoring one company’s business model over others’.
Legislation must specify what is the responsibility of the federal government and what responsibility belongs to the states.
Legislation must address cybersecurity threats.
The government and auto industry must work together to educate the public on the difference between tradition and autonomous vehicles.