Senators tell NHTSA to make way for self-driving cars

US Senators Cory A. Booker and Deb Fisher, members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, have sent a bipartisan letter to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) administrator Mark Rosekind to request an update on agency policies related to automated vehicle technology and to urge the NHTSA to embrace policies that promote innovation in and the improved safety benefits of the technology. “These technologies promise to significantly reduce roadway accidents, shorten
March 23, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
US Senators Cory A. Booker and Deb Fisher, members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, have sent a bipartisan letter to 834 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) administrator Mark Rosekind to request an update on agency policies related to automated vehicle technology and to urge the NHTSA to embrace policies that promote innovation in and the improved safety benefits of the technology.

“These technologies promise to significantly reduce roadway accidents, shorten commutes, and increase productivity for the American people in the coming years. We look forward to working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to accelerate the safety benefits of this technology and encourage states as they consider its potential,” the senators wrote.

In order to ensure that Congress effectively partners with the NHTSA, the senators requested answers to questions such as : what steps the NHTSA is taking towards finalising a policy on automated vehicles that embraces innovation and improved safety benefits; How NHTSA is providing guidance to states on the safe exploration of this new technology; What guidance NHTSA is providing to industry on the submission of requests for interpretation regarding the application of FMVSS to autonomous vehicle technologies; and hat barriers exist to the research and integration of autonomous vehicles that Congress could address.
Location Based Systems Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • A carbon free and accident free Europe by 2015?
    February 2, 2012
    By 2050, the Europe Commission aims to make transport in Europe carbon- and accident-free. Between now and then, however, a significant technological development and deployment effort is needed. Here, Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, talks about what's being done. In many respects, COOPERS, CVIS and SAFESPOT, set up by the European Commission (EC) to explore the potential of cooperative infrastructure systems, are already legacy projects. Between them, the three devel
    Read More
  • Call for a new vision for ITS in America
    February 1, 2012
    An ITIF report published at the beginning of this year stated that America is falling behind other developed nations in terms of ITS technologies and their deployment to address safety, congestion and environmental challenges. The report asked for a stronger commitment from the US federal government (see 'Just crawling along', interview with senior ITIF analyst Stephen Ezell, ITS International March-April 2010, pp.NA1-NA2) in order to address what it sees as increasing disparities with other countries. The
    Read More
  • Call for a new vision for ITS in America
    February 6, 2012
    Pete Goldin talks to Dr. Joseph Sussman, Chairman of the ITS Program Advisory Committee, about the state of intelligent transport systems in America
    Read More
  • Lack of communication jeopardises road weather information
    February 3, 2012
    A lack of communications means that the case for more widespread use of road weather information systems is still not happening, says Vaisala's Jon Tarleton. More effective exchanges up and down the political scale are needed, he adds
    Read More

Highlighted Content