Robert T. Lynch, PE, Sr. Collision Reconstruction Engineer ::::

Last Week, the US Department of Transportation released a policy paper outlining new rules for autonomous vehicles (AVs), otherwise known as self-driving or driverless cars, as both automakers and technology companies race to put these vehicles into production and on public roadways.

Until now, the federal government has refrained from setting and enforcing rules pertaining to AVs so as to not impede innovation with this rapidly advancing technology, citing similar back-seat approaches to past safety innovations such as seat belts, air bags, and antilock brakes. While the issuance of this AV policy paper prior to mass roll-out of AVs for public use represents a dramatic proactive shift in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) traditional retroactive approach, the intention of the policy paper is not to thwart technological advances in the AV industry, but rather to provide guidance and establish a foundation upon which future Agency action will occur.