The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing voluntary safety guidelines for self-driving vehicles in the final days of President Joe Biden’s administration.
This proposal will likely not be approved before the end of Biden’s term in January and will probably be handled by the agency under the incoming administration of Republican Donald Trump.
The big picture: The proposal outlines a voluntary program that would require automakers and autonomous vehicle companies to submit safety plans and data reporting for autonomous vehicles operating on public roads.
- Companies would need to have independent assessments of their automated vehicle safety processes and report crashes and other issues with the vehicles to NHTSA.
- However, auto safety advocates criticize the plan for not setting specific performance standards for self-driving vehicles, such as the number and types of sensors or visibility under low-visibility conditions.
Go deeper: The plan also requires companies to report data on crashes and other problems, which has been well-received, but there are concerns about the incoming administration wanting to release their own version of the guidelines.
- NHTSA will seek public comment on the plan for about 60 days, and the proposal would need to navigate the federal regulatory process, which can be a lengthy undertaking.
