Bucshon introduces bill to test abilities of crash avoidance systems

U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) this week announced legislation that would require the U.S. Transportation Secretary to conduct a study evaluating the ability of crash avoidance systems to detect and classify pedestrians, bicyclists and other road users by skin tone.

“Autonomous vehicles must be as safe as possible for everyone, regardless of their skin tone,” Rep. Bucshon said on Wednesday.

The study authorized under the bipartisan Crash Avoidance System Evaluation Act, H.R. 2997, introduced on May 4 by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), would test the performance of such systems, which are used to prevent or mitigate a crash, including systems using cameras, lidar or radar.  

Rep. Bucshon’s office cited a February 2019 report from the Georgia Institute of Technology showing that automated vehicles with crash-avoidance systems may be worse at detecting pedestrians with darker skin than those with lighter skin tones.

“With nearly 80,000 miles of road in Indiana, it is vital that we ensure Hoosiers’ road safety,” said Rep. Bucshon. “The Crash Avoidance System Evaluation Act will bolster our understanding of how life-saving, crash-avoidance technologies can be better implemented into autonomous vehicles, while also ensuring their accuracy and effectiveness in detecting all pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users.”

If enacted, H.R. 2997 would mandate that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conduct the study and submit it to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, within two years of the bill’s enactment into law.

The legislation is supported by groups including the Center for Auto Safety, the National Safety Council, and the League of American Bicyclists.