On Wednesday July 19, the U.S. House met to review a proposal to allow automakers to deploy up to 100,000 self-driving vehicles on U.S. roads without having to meet existing auto safety standards. It also bars states from imposing driverless car rules. Reuters has reported that the house approved the proposal by voice vote on July 19.
This legislation aims to increase the speed to market for self-driving cars. Automakers will be required to submit safety assessment reports to U.S. regulators but will not require pre-market approval of advanced technologies, according to the Reuters report. The article noted that carmakers will have to show that their self-driving vehicles “function as intended” and contain fail-safe features in order to receive exemptions from safety standards.
The measure, which is the first significant federal legislation aimed at speeding self-driving vehicles to market, requires automakers to submit safety assessment reports to U.S. regulators, but does not require pre-market approval of advanced vehicle technologies.
Automakers will have to show self-driving cars “function as intended and contain fail safe features” to get exemptions from safety standards but the Transportation Department could not “condition deployment or testing of highly automated vehicles on review of safety assessment certifications,” the draft measure unveiled late Monday, July 17, said.
The Senate is working on similar draft legislation.
MEMA submitted a statement for the hearing record on June 26 at the request of House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta (R-Ohio), and submitted a statement for the record to the Senate Commerce Committee for its hearing on AV principles earlier this month. MEMA says it will continue to work with Congress as the House bill goes through one more round of hearings where amendments will be offered, and the Senate offers its version soon.
