A road map for self-driving cars: here are five things you need to know about the new federal policy on autonomous vehicles.

AuthorHusch, Ben
PositionFEDERAL GUIDELINES

Self-driving cars may be the "greatest personal transportation revolution since the popularization of the personal automobile nearly a century ago," the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration states in the introduction to its new policy on highly autonomous vehicles. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx described the document, titled "Federal Automated Vehicles Policy," as just the beginning of a process that will include public input and lead to the safe development of the vehicles. He pledged to update the policy within a year. Although the 112-page document is fairly comprehensive, these five key items stand out.

1

Recommendations, Not Mandates

The second section of the four-part document--"Model State Policy"- -is specifically directed at the states. It's clear at the beginning of the sections that none of the topics discussed are currently required. "This guidance is not mandatory," though the agency may make "some elements of the guidance mandatory and binding through future rulemakings," the policy states.

2

Autonomous Vehicles Defined

The policy adopts a new classification system proposed by the Society of American Engineers to describe autonomous vehicles. The six-level system assigns Level 0 to vehicles with no automation, in which a human driver is in full control at all times. Cars defined as Level 1 or 2 have some aspect of automation, though the human driver remains in primary control. Tesla's "Autopilot," which can aid with changing speeds and lanes, is considered a Level 2 vehicle. Vehicles at Levels 3 and 4 have gradually increasing degrees of automation, with the driving systems monitoring some aspects of the driving environment. Level 5 represents vehicles capable of fully automating all aspects of driving.

3

States in the Driver's Seat

The "Model State Policy" section delineates the distinct areas of federal and state authority, noting that the federal government is responsible for setting motor vehicle safety standards, while states remain the lead regulator when it comes to licensing, registration, traffic law enforcement, safety inspections, infrastructure, and insurance and liability regulations.

4

A State Policy Road Map

The new document presents model policy for states wanting to move ahead with autonomous vehicles. Although it fails to mention the key role state legislatures play in enacting policy, it offers a series of steps a state could consider to ensure the safe testing...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT