NHTSA warns of legal obstacles for certain autonomous vehicles

March 12, 2016

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has shed more light on the potential legal obstacles that stand in the way of certain autonomous-vehicle designs.

After Google and other automakers raised questions over self-driving innovations and existing regulations, the agency commissioned a deeper assessment of federal safety standards to identify challenges that must be resolved. The report found that there are “few” existing regulatory hurdles for deployment of automated vehicles with traditional designs and “equipment to accommodate” a human driver.

“But the report found that there may be greater obstacles to vehicle designs without controls for human drivers, such as a steering wheel or brake pedals,” the agency said in a statement.

Google is currently testing vehicles with human controls, however the company wants its in-house-designed production car to be solely autonomous — without a steering wheel and brake pedals.

Proponents suggest autonomous technology will be much safer than a human driver, therefore human controls could effectively represent a dangerous addition. Opponents argue that self-driving systems have not yet been proven superior, and human drivers should be responsible for safe operation even while the car is driving itself.

“[The assessment] shows there are few current restrictions on some automated vehicle concepts, which highlights the need to establish clear expectations for their safe operation,” said NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind. “At the same time, for other vehicle designs, the agency has more work to do to ensure the safety of new innovations, and we look forward to learning more from stakeholders as we start that work.”

The agency has scheduled a pair of public meetings this spring to gather input as officials attempt to develop guidelines for automated safety technology. The framework will be promoted at the state level, potentially avoiding a patchwork of different laws across the country.

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