Federal Government Unveils Long-Awaited Guideline for Autonomous Cars

The U.S. government today released its long-awaited guideline for autonomous vehicles, which the Department of Transportation says should assist and accelerate the development of self-driving technology. The DOT’s “Federal Automated Vehicles Policy” aims to establish autonomous vehicle regulations for the next 50 years and includes an extensive “Safety Assessment,” as well as proposed initiatives the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may take to monitor the technology.

The Policy mostly targets Highly Autonomous Vehicles (HAVs), which the DOT defines as systems with Level 3 to 5 automation capability, as set by SAE standards. Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot feature, for example, is one of the most advanced systems available today at Level 2, though it’s fairly close to offering Level 3 functionality.

The Policy is broken down into four components, beginning with a 15-point safety assessment, which all HAVs should aim to meet. Included in the assessment is a “fall back” procedure in the event the autonomous technology fails along with details on the ethical considerations the system will address when encountering challenging scenarios on the road. The complete assessment is listed below:

• Operational Design Domain: How and where the HAV is supposed to function and operate
  • Object and Event Detection and Response: Perception and response functionality of the HAV system
  • Fall Back (Minimal Risk Condition): Response and robustness of the HAV upon system failure
  • Validation Methods: Testing, validation, and verification of an HAV system
  • Registration and Certification: Registration and certification to NHTSA of an HAV system
  • Data Recording and Sharing: HAV system data recording for information sharing, knowledge building and for crash reconstruction purposes
  • Post-Crash Behavior: Process for how an HAV should perform after a crash and how automation functions can be restored
  • Privacy: Privacy considerations and protections for users
  • System Safety: Engineering safety practices to support reasonable system safety
  • Vehicle Cybersecurity: Approaches to guard against vehicle hacking risks
  • Human Machine Interface: Approaches for communicating information to the driver, occupant and other road users
  • Crashworthiness: Protection of occupants in crash situations
  • Consumer Education and Training: Education and training requirements for users of HAVs
  • Ethical Considerations: How vehicles are programmed to address conflict dilemmas on the road
  • Federal, State and Local Laws: How vehicles are programmed to comply with all applicable traffic laws.

One of the main goals of the Policy is to avoid a patchwork of state regulations that have the potential to complicate or hinder autonomous technology development. With that said, the Policy clarifies how federal and state agencies should handle HAVs. Essentially, the guidelines aren’t much different from how they are now — the feds will handle regulations, standards, and recalls of autonomous vehicles, while states are charged with licensing drivers and registering vehicles. States can still attempt to establish their own HAV laws, though the DOT “strongly encourages States to allow DOT alone to regulate the performance of HAV technology.”

The third component of the Policy is titled “Current Regulatory Tools” outlining available rule that should aid in HAV development. It also outlines possible exemptions given to companies seeking to publicly test HAVs that don’t meet federal safety standards. Exemptions are temporary (available up to three years) and limited to small batches of cars. The NHTSA also promises to streamline its exemption process.

Finally, the “Modern Regulatory Tools” component describes the possible steps the government will take “to be more nimble and flexible” as it adapts to regulating HAVs. The proposed steps include an expansion of DOT and NHTSA duties. One notable proposal includes “pre-market approval authority” by the NHTSA, essentially giving the agency the power to approve or reject new technology before it rolls out to production.

In a message introducing the Policy, DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx said there are “three realities that necessitate this guidance. First, the rise of new technology is inevitable. Second, we will achieve more significant safety improvements by establishing an approach that translates our knowledge and aspirations into early guidance. Third, as this area evolves, the ‘unknowns’ of today will become ‘knowns’ tomorrow. We do not intend to write the final word on highly automated vehicles here. Rather, we intend to establish a foundation and a framework upon which future Agency action will occur.”

That said, the government states this is very much a fluid document that will change significantly in its early years. The DOT is encouraging public input and says it plans to update the Policy annually.

The Policy comes at a time when automakers and tech companies are rapidly developing and testing HAVs. Lyft, Uber, Volvo, and Ford are just a few prominent companies looking to launch fully autonomous vehicles, with some claiming they’re 5-10 years away from readying the technology.

Source: Department of Transportation

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