Driving the Future of Transportation: Examining Draft Bills on Automated Vehicle Technology

In 2015, there were over 127,000 vehicular crashes recorded by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and 2.44 million people injured in crashes nationwide. Just last year, there were an estimated 40,200 people million people killed in traffic accidents across the country, an annual level of fatalities not seen in nearly a decade.

Yet, technological advancements are generating mechanisms to directly confront this serious problem. The growing union between automakers and tech firms is producing more innovation and smarter vehicles with each passing model year. Progressively autonomous vehicle technologies present tremendous opportunities for heightened safety on our nation’s roadways, in addition to reducing congestion and driving times, cutting carbon emissions, and empowering Americans to be more independently mobile. In fact, driverless vehicle technology already is beginning to have safety influences on cars on the road today that are equipped with crash avoidance features, including automatic braking systems, collision warnings, blind spot detection, and adaptive headlights.

At Tuesday’s hearing held by the E&C Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee, of which I’m a member, lawmakers reviewed a comprehensive set of fourteen legislative drafts aimed at advancing safe deployment of self-driving vehicles. The more we can conceptualize how the digital era is transforming traditional sectors, such as the auto industry, the more Congress can better assist policies supporting evolution within these industries. In this case, forward-thinking legislation promoting innovation in connected vehicles will potentially help save thousands of lives by decreasing human error — causing 94-percent of car accidents — while contributing to enhancements in daily living. Your time, and the fuel in your tank, could be far better spent than sitting idly in traffic on the highway.

At the hearing, I asked expert industry witnesses about how self-driving cars will play a role in helping those who rely solely on public transportation options, especially as it affects accessing healthcare. Furthermore, I questioned witnesses on how self-driving cars will improve mobility for underserved communities, as well as those who are elderly or disabled. It was encouraging to hear more about ways in which these technologies can afford increased mobility to those who typically have been limited in their ability to get around — whether due to aging, a disability, or lack of vehicle ownership. Two of the legislative proposals examined during the hearing would directly assist collaboration among industry, research, and government stakeholders to maximize the benefits and address challenges associated with self-driving vehicles specifically for these vulnerable populations.

I also followed up with a question regarding fleet and electric self-driving cars, especially given new business alliances and testing of new services by companies such as Avis and Waymo, and Apple and Hertz. The advent of more self-driving cars on our streets would not necessarily mean a reduction in the importance of public transportation, or an increase in vehicle ownership. Self-driving fleet vehicles could efficiently make cars available in an on-demand manner for those who don’t own a vehicle, whether for budgetary, environmental, age, or health reasons. Additionally, it will be essential for self-driving automation of these vehicles to be interoperable with robust connectivity for car, driver, road user, and surrounding infrastructure, and this will require broad partnership and planning from all those involved in the automotive and transportation industry.

There is a range of complex policies for lawmakers to work through to promote automated vehicle technologies and ensure they are achieved in a safe and sensible manner, maintaining the integrity of the testing and approval processes of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The scope of the legislative drafts the Subcommittee considered this past week is a major step in putting meaningful policy discussions into action — whether addressing mechanical language constraints of existing regulations and the need to adapt (e.g. how radar placement is changing the traditional construction of bumpers), or defining clear federal and state roles for highly automated vehicles (so they don’t have to stop at state lines). Modernizing how government approaches the auto industry will better enable the effectiveness of self-driving technology, along with its ability to decrease traffic fatalities and improve our quality of life. I look forward to working on the proposed legislation with my colleagues to pave a bipartisan road forward that boosts 21st century vehicle innovation.