CEO DATELINE - California self-driving car plan worries industry
CEO DATELINE - California self-driving car plan worries industry
- February 9, 2016 |
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Eight associations including CTIA—The Wireless Association, the Consumer Technology Association and the Auto Alliance have filed "significant concerns" about California's proposed rules on self-driving cars. bit.ly/1TQb4w4
Washington, D.C.-based association TechNet organized the effort, in which the groups co-signed a letter to the head of the California State Transportation Agency saying the regulations would inhibit autonomous technology and violate the spirit of recent state legislation. The associations say driverless cars are safer and better for the environment.
The state's Department of Motor Vehicles has held two public hearings on the issue and is seeking further comment by Feb. 16.
Legal news site JD Supra reported that groups representing those with disabilities oppose a provision in the regulations requiring a licensed driver to be present in all driverless vehicles. bit.ly/1SdRD0O
"Clearly and indisputably, (the proposal) will mean that disabled and elderly citizens in California will not have new mobility options opened up to them because they cannot obtain a driver's license," the trade associations wrote. "Less intuitively, it will also result in a failure to achieve the environmental and traffic benefits that are present in fully autonomous systems."
Other trade groups signing the letter were: the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the Bay Area Council, CompTIA and the Information Technology Industry Council.
"Driver error is the number one factor in car accident related injuries and leads to more than 94 percent of vehicle crashes per year, according to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration," the letter states. "Truly autonomous vehicles can reduce moving violations, drunk driving, pedal error, and other dangerous behaviors. California should be a leader in the future of automotive safety, not an obstacle."
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