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NHTSA Ready to Rethink Rules in the Light of Self-Driving Cars Proliferation

The reaction from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s chief, Mark Rosekind, comes following Wednesday’s proposal from California Department of Motor Vehicles to ban driverless cars on the road unless they have functioning controls (pedals and steering wheel) and a licensed driver in the position to operate them at all times.
Self-driving BMW testing 1 photo
Photo: Wikipedia
It’s easy to understand California DMV’s position and their concern for the safety of everybody else on the road. What’s more, such regulations don’t seem to impede the development of autonomous cars at the moment.

However, the NHTSA would dislike what it calls a “patchwork” of state regulations concerning autonomous cars, assuring everybody that it would use a “nimble, flexible” approach in coming up with the new sets of rules regulating self-driving vehicles.

Rosekind was speaking at an event on different matters - drunk driving - when the subject was brought up. He is quoted by Automotive News as saying, "We need to figure out how to make sure this is not a patchwork (of state regulations). We are pretty deep into looking at our regulatory framework that we currently have. We keep talking nimble, flexible. Two years is like ancient now. That's being reviewed.”

He was referring to NHTSA’s guidelines regarding autonomous cars issued in 2013 that are still in effect today. Given the rapid development of the technology, the legislation should try and keep up as to avoid holding up progress.

The NHTSA is hoping for “some kind of national approach” to this new situation, and Mark Rosekind is holding talks with state leaders to reach an agreement. But the simple fact of the matter is that states have a very wide authority to set their own driving regulations.

The state of California has been the preferred testing ground for most of the major companies involved in the development of this technology, but much stricter laws could very well force giants such as Google to relocate in the future.

At the moment, no company has declared its intention to run tests with actual driverless cars, but a ban on this practice would mean a huge dent in how the automakers imagine the future. Not only does it mean that those lounge-like vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz F015 Luxury in Motion won’t be possible but it also limits the access to personal transportation for those who are physically unable to drive a normal car.

Mark Rosekind has said that the NHTSA will release a review proposal for its antiquated guidelines next year.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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