U.S. to unveil streamlined autonomous vehicle guidelines Tuesday

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

#TECHNOLOGY NEWS SEPTEMBER 11, 2017 / 6:45 PM / UPDATED 36 MINUTES AGO

U.S. to unveil streamlined autonomous vehicle guidelines Tuesday

David Shepardson
3 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao will unveil on Tuesday streamlined safety guidelines for automakers that want to deploy self-driving vehicles, a person briefed on the matter said Monday, as members of Congress push their own proposals to remove regulatory barriers to the technology.

The new Transportation Department policy is expected to offer the lighter regulatory touch that automakers have pushed for. For example, the Transportation Department is expected to state that automakers do not have to seek approval from regulators before putting self-driving vehicles on the road.

Separately, the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday is expected to release findings that Tesla Inc’s semi-autonomous Autopilot mode was a contributing factor in the May 2016 death of a motorist. That case has highlighted concerns about the design of systems that automate some, but not all, driving tasks.

The new document is titled “A Vision for Safety” and will be less than half the length of the Obama administration guidelines released in September 2016 and will be less “burdensome,” the person briefed on the announcement said.

Chao is expected to make the announcement in Ann Arbor at a self-driving testing facility.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-vehicles/u-s-to-unveil-streamlined-autonomous-vehicle-guidelines-tuesday-idUSKCN1BM2TM

[eppur_se_muova]

1. What is the f***ing RUSH to get driverless vehicles on the road ?

Will ANYONE besides corps -- who will be hiring fewer professional drivers -- benefit from this ?

[LisaM]

2. I don't get it, either.

I read a comment somewhere that workers at tech companies are all busy at work planning our dystopian future. I think that's true.

I absolutely do not want self-driving cars on the road. I'll lose that battle, just like I lose a lot of battles, but I think even the supporters can agree that it's a really bad idea to lighten regulations.

[longship]

3. Let's put them first on the Tejon Pass, Interstate 5 in SoCal.

An eight lane Interstate full of big trucks with a scary ass mountain pass descent -- the runout lanes are everywhere. The mayhem, death, and destruction that results will disabuse these lunatics from promoting their driverless vehicles. I won't suggest that they try it in winter. That would be utter mass carnage.

Here: driving the Grapevine (Tejon Pass): (Updated!)