The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade held a hearing this week that focused on self-driving cars.
The hearing, entitled “Disrupter Series: Self-Driving Cars” was part of an ongoing series that examines the effects of federal policy on emerging technologies. During the hearing, members addressed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Federal Automated Vehicles Policy guidance issued in September.
In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Michael Burgess (R-Texas), praised NHTSA for proactive guidance on self-driving vehicles, but also expressed concerns about the implementation, stating, “Preemptive action on the part of regulators, before gaining a full understanding or appreciation of self-driving cars, may lead to unintended consequences that limit the capabilities of this emerging technology and its promised life-saving, economic and societal benefits.”
National Highway Traffic Safety administrator Mark Rosekind, Ph.D., stressed the adaptive nature of federal policy on automated vehicles, and explained NHTSA’s approach for was designed to be flexible for the ever-changing landscape of technological advancements.
Mitch Bainwol, CEO of Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers pointed out complications of the broad policy, stating “We believe that NHTSA struck the correct balance with respect to the proper federal and state roles that were outlined in the AV Policy Guidance. Simply put, the federal government [NHTSA] regulates the car, and the states regulate the driver via license, traffic enforcement and insurance. The distinction is not as clear with these new technologies … [which] creates friction between traditional federal and state responsibilities.”
Additionally, the full Committee on Energy and Commerce examined evolving cybersecurity issues with a follow-up hearing later on Nov. 15, entitled “Understanding the Role of Connected Devices in Recent Cyber Attacks.”
