Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee cheered the bipartisan approval of the country’s first legal and regulatory framework for self-driving cars last week, forging a path for autonomous vehicles to enter U.S. consumer markets.
Committee leaders U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR), Michael Burgess (R-TX), Leonard Lance (R-NJ) and Fred Upton (R-MI) supported the bills’ unanimous passage and highlighted driverless technology’s potential to bring about safety and innovation on the country’s roadways.
“I truly believe the bipartisan bill-drafting process for self-driving legislation is an example of our committee at its best — working together to pursue the common goal of saving lives,” Walden, the chairman of the full committee, said. “Our aim was to develop a regulatory structure that allows for industry to safely innovate with significant government oversight — as safety must be the chief priority.” He said the legislation strikes that critical balance.
The committee approved three bills: the Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research in Vehicle Evolution Act, or the SELF DRIVE Act, H.R. 3388; the PAVE Act, H.R. 3406; and the Highly Automated Vehicle Testing and Deployment Act of 2017, H.R. 3430.
The SELF DRIVE Act would clarify state and federal roles surrounding driverless vehicle technology, promote research and development, and update Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) to reflect developments in highly automated vehicle technology.
Burgess, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, called passage of the SELF DRIVE Act “a big win for American consumers.” He also noted that committee members had spent a significant amount of time on self-driving technology before Thursday’s vote.
“Throughout my life, I have seen the life-saving effects of advancements in vehicle technology, from the seat belt, to the airbag, to automatic emergency braking,” Burgess said. “Self-driving vehicles are the next step in this trajectory. Moving forward, we must remain vigilant in ensuring government does not get in the way of the very innovation that can keep us safe.”
Lance, who helped usher the Highly Automated Vehicle Testing and Deployment Act to committee approval, also highlighted the safety benefits of autonomous vehicles. The measure would establish a Highly Automated Vehicle Information Sharing Advisory Council within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The new council would make recommendations to foster driverless technology innovation and to promote information sharing among manufacturers.
“Self-driving cars can reverse the rising trend of distracted and impaired driving, road accidents and highway fatalities,” Lance said. “This is major legislation involving 21st century technology achieved through true bipartisan consensus in Washington.”
Road deaths in the United States rose 7.7 percent in 2015, the highest annual increase since 1966, Lance noted. Additionally, the number of traffic deaths recorded in the first nine months of 2016 was nearly 8 percent higher than the year before, according to government data.
Upton, who introduced the PAVE Act with U.S. Sen. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), agreed that “the future of the automobile is here” and that the automotive industry is “completely revolutionizing how we will get around for decades to come.”
The PAVE Act aims to encourage that by increasing the number of exemptions from vehicle safety standards that NHTSA could grant to enable manufacturers to test and collect more information on driverless technology.
“Self-driving cars will play a critical role in Michigan’s economy and it’s important we have guidelines in place to help create jobs and boost our economy without sacrificing safety,” Upton, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, said. “This bipartisan legislation will allow self-driving car manufacturers to innovate while keeping gold standard safety levels in place.”