Obama Auto Company Freedom To Profit Over People s Freedom From Harm

“WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ —  This evening, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released guidance for the operation of autonomous vehicles. The Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets released the following statement from David Strickland, Coalition spokesperson and general counsel, in response to the guidance:  “This is an important step forward in establishing the basis of a national framework for the deployment of self-driving vehicles…. “We look forward to continued collaboration with NHTSA and other federal and state policymakers to further develop the national framework for safe and timely deployment that avoids a patchwork of requirements that could inhibit self-driving vehicle development and operations.”  See Attached Release by Self Drive Coalition and former Obama Administration appointee NHTSA Administrator Strickland.

President Obama: Worries Regulation Can Go Too Far

“Right now, too many people die on our roads – 35,200 last year alone – with 94 percent of those the result of human error or choice. Automated vehicles have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives each year. And right now, for too many senior citizens and Americans with disabilities, driving isn’t an option. Automated vehicles could change their lives.

Safer, more accessible driving. Less congested, less polluted roads. That’s what harnessing technology for good can look like. But we have to get it right. Americans deserve to know they’ll be safe today even as we develop and deploy the technologies oftomorrow.

That’s why my administration is rolling out new rules of the road for automated vehicles – guidance that the manufacturers developing self-driving cars should follow to keep us safe. And we’re asking them to sign a 15-point safety checklist showing not just the government, but every interested American, how they’re doing it.

We’re also giving guidance to states on how to wisely regulate these new technologies, so that when a self-driving car crosses from Ohio into Pennsylvania, its passengers can be confident that other vehicles will be just as responsibly deployed and just as safe.

Regulation can go too far. Government sometimes gets it wrong when it comes to rapidly changing technologies. That’s why this new policy is flexible and designed to evolve with new advances.”  See http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2016/09/19/Barack-Obama-Self-driving-yes-but-also-safe/stories/201609200027

Joan Claybrook and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety: Guidance Not Enough

“The Department of Transportation (DOT) must use its federal regulatory authority to assure the American public of the safety of autonomous cars. Safety performance standards encourage competition among automotive companies because they help to assure a market for the real innovators and suppliers. The manufacturers always complain about new federal protections, but autonomous cars are a whole new technology with great promise but also with the potential for serious public harm.

We are pleased that DOT is planning to address these issues and seeking public comment for this new system of transportation but it must not shy away from assuring public safety with minimum federal vehicle safety standards. It should not rely instead on mere guidance, including for the initial elements of automatic vehicle operation such as Automatic Emergency Brakes (AEB) that currently is only guided with a useless industry voluntary standard (it was the key element that failed in the Tesla fatal crashes.)  Seehttps://saferoads.org/2018/10/04/advocates-statement-on-u-s-dot-3-0-av-guidelines/