Video: NHTSA Driverless Guidelines Coming in July - Rosekind

Federal regulators will release deployment guidance and state model policy on autonomous driving technology in July, Mark Rosekind, administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, told Autoline Network at the TU-Automotive Detroit 2016 show on Thursday. (See the interview below).

The state guidelines are designed to give some uniform structure to autonomous regulations across the nation, said Rosekind.

At the same time, NHTSA must be nimble and flexible in its regulatory approach to driverless vehicles so the rules can evolve as the technology changes, he said.

In addition, we have to make sure the federal role and the state role are clearly identified, Rosekind tells Autoline. Broadly, the feds have oversight of the vehicle while states have oversight of the driver.

For instance, the leader of Volvo complained to US DOT recently that Europe’s patchwork regulatory approach to autonomous driving technology is a hindrance to the technology there, said Rosekind.

“We have a chance in the United States to create a platform that would accelerate (driverless technology) rather than be a barrier,” Rosekind said. “I’m hoping in July when we announce we create a new framework that people around the world will (review). They might say, ‘That’s an approach that works’”, said Rosekind.

NHTSA is working with the American Association Motor of Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) on the guidelines to ensure that the states are on board with the policy, said Rosekind. The AAMVA is the organization for leaders of state departments of motor vehicles.

NHTSA also will probably ask Congress in July for greater leeway in its oversight of the testing of new vehicles, and for “new kinds of approval process” to speed deployment, said Rosekind.

He noted that NHTSA now has exemption authority over tests of vehicles and equipment, giving it the power to allow a test of a maximum of 2,500 vehicles over two years.

NHTSA might ask Congress for the authority to allow the testing of larger fleets over a longer time frame. That would give it the ability to gather a larger sample of data to be analyzed.