Legislation Supports Autonomous Vehicles But Not Connected Ones [Connected and Automated Vehicles]

It is inspiring to notice that legislation that helps incorporate autonomous vehicles on our roads in the near future is moving forward. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDoT), has integrated automated vehicles into the existing safety standards such that the text in the standards do not rely on the existence of steering wheels and driver’s seats, which may not exist in fully autonomous vehicles. In addition, the NHTSA has incorporated lane-keeping support, pedestrian automatic emergency braking, blind spot detection, and blind spot intervention into its Five-Star Safety Ratings program. Such driver-assistance technologies are the first steps toward fully autonomous vehicles but, more importantly, toward safer ones. Developing safer vehicles requires significant investments, so it is important that the legislation provide a framework that is predictable, reducing the risk of long-term commitment.