Updated federal driverless policy continues, and expands, hands-off approach

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Updated federal driverless policy continues, and expands, hands-off approach

By Michael Laris September 12 at 2:46 PM

Each day, driverless cars carry passengers around U.S. cities big and small. But federal officials — driven by bipartisan concerns about stifling a promising industry or seeming too old-fashioned — have not imposed any new safety requirements.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration weighed in with its first set of suggestions for how autonomous vehicles should be managed. It continues — and, in several significant ways, extends — the generally hands-off approach taken under the Obama administration, which released the first set of voluntary guidelines last year.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced the “2.0” version of the federal policy in Ann Arbor, Mich. The guidelines continue to rely on technology companies and automakers to voluntarily submit information explaining why their cars are safe and how their passengers will be protected.

Under President Barack Obama, the policy was built around a 15-point safety checklist, covering areas such as crashworthiness, how cars are meant to respond to hazards and where they are designed to drive. Under President Trump, several key areas were dropped from the list, including privacy and ethical considerations.

Those were removed because they were “speculative in nature and outside” the authorities of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according an explanation of the change that accompanied the revised guidance. “These are important areas for further discussion and research, but it would be premature to include those considerations in this document,” according to NHTSA.

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/updated-federal-driverless-policy-continues-and-expands-hands-off-approach/2017/09/12/7db413fc-97c9-11e7-82e4-f1076f6d6152_story.html

[longship]

1. Only a mad person would support driverless vehicles without infrastructure improvements.

However, the Ray Kurzweil singularity kooks and their followers see technology advancing way beyond practical considerations. I similarly group them with the driverless vehicle advocates.

Try your damned driverless vehicles on Interstate 5 in SoCal through the Tejon Pass, often called "The Grapevine" by locals. It is one scary assed drive. Driverless vehicles on that road would result in mayhem, death, and destruction. Driverless tractor trailers would result in mass death.

Keep your damned driverless vehicles off the roads I drive on.