DOT to Propose Rules to Speed Up Deployment of Autonomous Vehicles

(January 14, 2016) In an effort to speed the development of autonomous vehicles, in the next six months the U.S. Department of Transportation will prepare proposed rules for their deployment and operation.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx made this announcement at the Detroit Auto Show. The push for new regulations is part of the White House’s proposal to invest $4 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate the development of driverless vehicles. The money would be used for pilot programs to test connected vehicle systems in designated corridors throughout the country and work with industry to establish a multistate framework for connected autonomous vehicles.

“We are on the cusp of a new era in automotive technology with enormous potential to save lives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and transform mobility for the American people,” Foxx said.

Foxx said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans in the next six months to:

• Develop guidance on the safe deployment and operation of autonomous vehicles, providing a common understanding of the performance characteristics necessary for fully autonomous vehicles along with appropriate testing and analysis.
• Develop a model state policy on automated vehicles that offers a path to consistent national policy.
• Encourage manufacturers to submit requests for exemptions to allow deployment of fully autonomous vehicles.
• Ensure that fully autonomous vehicles, including those designed without a human driver in mind, are deployable in large numbers when they are demonstrated to provide an equivalent or higher level of safety than is now available.

Balough Law Offices has written numerous articles and participated in panel discussions regarding the legal issues concerning autonomous vehicles.