Senate Democrats Push for Stricter Regulations on Self-Driving and Driver-Assist Tech

Senators Urge Stricter Regulation of Self-Driving and Driver-Assist Technology

Concerns Over Safety Risks

Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ed Markey (D-MA) are pushing for tighter oversight of autonomous vehicles and advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS), such as Tesla’s Autopilot. They argue that the unchecked deployment of these highly automated vehicles on public roads in recent years could worsen the traffic safety crisis in the United States.

We cannot allow partially automated driving systems and ADS to accelerate the road safety crisis.

The senators contend that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) regulatory authority may not be keeping pace with the rapid advancements in technology.

Recommendations for NHTSA

Blumenthal and Markey urge NHTSA to:

• Use its recall authority to restrict the use of certain driver-assist features on specific roads.
• Require more comprehensive reporting from companies regarding crashes involving autonomous vehicles and ADAS-equipped vehicles.
• Implement latency requirements for remote operators.
• Reconsider its plan to allow the release of more vehicles without traditional controls, such as steering wheels and pedals, under a new pilot program.

Like a car with only one working headlight, NHTSA isn’t seeing all the potential safety concerns facing drivers and road users, and therefore can’t take the necessary actions to protect them.

Public Roads Are Not a Testing Ground

The senators emphasize that public roads should not be treated as a playground for manufacturers or operators to experiment with potentially dangerous vehicles. They believe that regulatory agencies like NHTSA should exercise extreme caution when allowing such vehicles onto the road.

Public roads are not a sandbox for manufacturers or operators to play in, and regulatory agencies like NHTSA should be highly cautious about providing lax pathways onto the road for dangerous vehicles.

Blumenthal and Markey have a history of advocating for increased regulation of self-driving vehicles and ADAS. They have previously called for investigations into Tesla’s branding of its Level 2 driver-assist feature as “Full Self-Driving.”