US transport regulators may waive some safety rules to spur self-driving cars
The U.S. Transportation Department may waive some safety rules to make it easier for automakers to test self-driving vehicles, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced at a Thursday event in Detroit.
Safety regulators are expected to establish "best practices" guidelines for self-driving cars within six months, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will exempt as many as 2,500 vehicles from safety standards for up to two years, Reuters reported. U.S. President Barack Obama will additionally ask Congress to approve almost $4 billion over 10 years to speed up development.
The government may also bend its interpretation of rules to be more friendly to corporations, under the condition that businesses show their vehicles are safe. The NHTSA confirmed, for instance, that a BMW remote parking feature meets federal standards.
The organization will also work with states on developing uniform regulations, addressing one of the biggest auto industry complaints, and urge automakers to get exemptions when needed.
Thursday's event was attended by Google and Tesla -- two of the leaders in self-driving technology -- as well as some major established companies.
Absent in any official capacity, at least, was Apple, which is believed to be developing an electric vehicle for launch in 2019 or 2020. Although the first model may or may not be human-driven, Apple is thought to be working on self-driving systems regardless, and will need a clear regulatory path to achieve its aims.
Safety regulators are expected to establish "best practices" guidelines for self-driving cars within six months, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will exempt as many as 2,500 vehicles from safety standards for up to two years, Reuters reported. U.S. President Barack Obama will additionally ask Congress to approve almost $4 billion over 10 years to speed up development.
The government may also bend its interpretation of rules to be more friendly to corporations, under the condition that businesses show their vehicles are safe. The NHTSA confirmed, for instance, that a BMW remote parking feature meets federal standards.
The organization will also work with states on developing uniform regulations, addressing one of the biggest auto industry complaints, and urge automakers to get exemptions when needed.
Thursday's event was attended by Google and Tesla -- two of the leaders in self-driving technology -- as well as some major established companies.
Absent in any official capacity, at least, was Apple, which is believed to be developing an electric vehicle for launch in 2019 or 2020. Although the first model may or may not be human-driven, Apple is thought to be working on self-driving systems regardless, and will need a clear regulatory path to achieve its aims.
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(NB : my background is in certification of critical embarked aerospace software (=Level A; ED-12B/C ; DO-178B/C))
Of course, I know that a cynical viewpoint could be that in aeronautics, a catastrophic event leading to loss of human lives usually result in the death of all passengers, which is in the hundreds, whereas a car collision result in one or two orders of magnitude less (but "compensated" (in statistical terms...) , very likely, by the difference of magnitude in the number of cars versus planes).
AND (last comment), let's not forget that the automotive market being a worldwide market, safety authorities all over the world (across the Atlantic, and beyond) need to come to a common answer to these issues, as it has been the case in aeronautics, and this will take time , a lot of time ....
Actually I want to know if the car will kill the deer or you, the idiot who decided to run out in front of your car. Well know that Most people in California rather save and animal of a human, the last things I want them do is programming the control system on a self driving car for an area which is prone to having deer and small fluffy animals jump out in front of your car.
Let not forget the idiots in Toyota with stuck gas pedals who could not seem to figure out that you can always turn off the engine to get the car to stop, no they just choose to keep driving a high rate of speed and crash into something. Self driving cars will just add to the stupidfication of the US drivers. Honestly if you do not know how a car works you should not be allow to drive. Oh let not forget about the people I left their cars running in their garages because the keyless ignitions, most them killed themselves.
To me is enough if they lower the sighting standard, right now I can't renovate my driving license because I'm on the wrong side of the limit, by a slim margin, but in the wrong.
Actually they do not get there faster they only think they do. I believe the US should use the German method of giving out licenses which is you have to show a complete understanding of how a car works and how to drive it. But the US will not, it is all about the $ in the use the only care about selling more cars and making all the taxes and such of the cost of owning a car. They will let anyone drive no matter what, they see the downside as less then the upside of having bad drivers on the road.
Interesting point about your weaving comment, all the simulations I have seen about self driving cars or pods, is the fact they can weave in and out of each others with out issues, the people working on this know weaving the major issue. In Calif which lived out there the fast way to get a ticket was to be seen weaving, you could be speeding and not get pulled over.