Self-Driving Coalition Submits Response to NHTSA Autonomous Vehicles Guidance

Washington -- Today the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets submitted comments in response to NHTSA’s guidance for the operation of autonomous vehicles. The Coalition released the following statement from General Counsel David Strickland:

“The Coalition’s foremost priority is the safe development and deployment of fully-self driving vehicles. We support the development of a single national framework and urge NHTSA to discourage state and local policymakers from pursuing their own rules and contributing to an inconsistent patchwork of regulations.

“Furthermore, the federal government should take additional steps to enable safe and rapid deployment. It is now time for NHTSA to pursue targeted rulemakings to amend key safety standards that limit L4/L5 vehicles by currently mandating human operation, and we call on Congress to enact legislation to facilitate deployment of fully self-driving technology.

“We look forward to continuing engagement with NHTSA officials and other policymakers to provide guidance clarifications and policy solutions to bring the U.S. closer to the safety and mobility benefits offered by fully self-driving vehicles.”

View the Self-Driving Coalition’s extended comments here. 

The Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets was founded to promote the benefits of fully self-driving vehicles and support the safe and rapid deployment of this innovative and potentially life-saving technology. Founding members Ford, Google, Lyft, Uber, and Volvo Cars established the Coalition to work with lawmakers, regulators, and the public to realize the potential safety and societal benefits of self-driving vehicles.