Congress Struggles To Keep Up With Regulations For Self-Driving Cars

Cars that drive themselves are a thing of the not-so-distant future. But Congress is having a hard time keeping up regulations to go with the technological change.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

The tech industry and major automakers are rapidly pushing ahead on technology for driverless cars. Washington is in the slow lane. That's because Congress is trying to figure out what safety or other regulations should be put in place. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

BRIAN NAYLOR, BYLINE: When it comes to autonomous vehicles, lawmakers in Congress are definitely in drive. Democrat Debbie Dingell, whose Michigan district is home to a big chunk of the auto industry and thousands of auto workers, says it's an economic imperative.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DEBBIE DINGELL: Automated vehicles are going to be developed whether we like it or not. The question is whether the United States will remain in the driver's seat as opposed to China, Japan or even the EU, who are also making significant investments in this space.

NAYLOR: And for a Michigan Republican Fred Upton autonomous vehicles are an animated dream come true.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

FRED UPTON: So we can forget about the Jetsons. The future of the automobile is here.

NAYLOR: Upton and Dingell spoke at a House hearing today that gave initial approval to a bill laying out some rules of the road for driverless cars. So far the Department of Transportation has placed only some voluntary guidelines on the industry while states have been more proactive. The House bill would pre-empt state regulations and give the Department of Transportation broader authority to waive safety standards for industry as it tests autonomous cars. That worries pro-safety groups. Jacqueline Gillan is president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

JACQUELINE GILLAN: We see autonomous vehicles as a game changer in terms of making some meaningful and lasting reductions in the highway death toll. But we also have millions of vehicles right now that are under recall because of safety defects.

NAYLOR: Gillan says manufacturers should have to meet minimum safety standards before driverless cars can be sold.

GILLAN: There may be a time where we won't need a steering wheel in your car, but you're sure going to need that airbag if you're in a crash.

NAYLOR: This may be a rare issue where bipartisan cooperation is possible. But as lawmakers consider how much to regulate the emerging industry, there could yet be some disagreement about just how much to pump the brakes. Brian Naylor, NPR News, Washington.

Copyright © 2017 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.