Advertisement
CES
TechPolicy

New US plan keeps autonomous vehicle standards voluntary

  • It follows recent criticism of the Trump administration’s failure to regulate autonomous vehicle testing on public roads
  • The proposed ‘AV 4.0’ initiative is expected to ensure US leadership in developing new technologies in this field

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
The autonomous vehicle solution by Intel’s Mobileye is shown in their booth at CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show, in Las Vegas on January 8. The Trump administration unveiled at CES proposed new guidelines for autonomous vehicle makers. Photo: EPA-EFE
Associated Press

The Trump administration on Wednesday unveiled its most recent round of guidelines for autonomous vehicle (AV) makers that rely on voluntary standards, despite calls for specific regulations.

US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced the proposed guidelines in a speech at the CES trade show in Las Vegas, saying in prepared remarks that “AV 4.0” will ensure US leadership in developing new technologies.

But the guidelines fall short of expectations of car safety advocates and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). In November, the NTSB, which investigates crashes and makes safety recommendations, condemned a lack of state and federal regulation for testing autonomous vehicles.

The NTSB said Chao’s department failed to lead in regulating the new technology and put autonomous vehicle advancement ahead of saving lives.

US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced proposed new guidelines for self-driving vehicles that rely on voluntary standards in a speech at the CES trade show in Las Vegas on January 8. Photo: AP
US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced proposed new guidelines for self-driving vehicles that rely on voluntary standards in a speech at the CES trade show in Las Vegas on January 8. Photo: AP

In her remarks, Chao said that AV 4.0, a joint effort between her department and the White House, unifies autonomous vehicle work across 38 federal departments and agencies. It also establishes a list of government principles. Chao said that safety is her department’s No 1 priority.

Advertisement