NHTSA to Propose New Self-Driving Vehicle Regulations this Fall: Report

Federal traffic safety experts are preparing to introduce new regulations for self-driving vehicles, an emerging technology which many hope will eventually make U.S. roadways safer, but have been linked to hundreds of auto accidents, as manufacturers try to perfect the technology. According to a recent report by Automotive News (subscription required), the acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ann Carlson, has announced that the agency intends to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking this fall on self-driving vehicle regulations, known as the ADS-Equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency, and Evaluation Program (AV-STEP). Carlson made the statements last week at the Automated Road Transportation Symposium. The announcement follows a report by the NHTSA released last month, which found that driver-assist technologies were involved in nearly 400 auto accidents between July 1, 2021 and May 15, 2022. Most of those accidents involved vehicles manufactured by Tesla, which accounts for the bulk of U.S. vehicles equipped with autopilot or driver-assistance technology.