i3 - November/December 2017 - 52

Policy

By Izzy Santa

Exciting Road Ahead
for Self-Driving Cars

mericans overwhelmingly are excited about the
benefits of self-driving vehicles (SDVs) and driverassist technology. Last year, a CTA research study found
that 70 percent of U.S. consumers want to test a self-driving car.
Almost all those who used advanced driving features such as
parking-assist technology, navigation assistance technology or
car maintenance alerts were satisfied. Of those drivers who did
not use advanced driving features, half were looking forward
to upgrading and taking the technology for a spin. The study
also found that four out of five American consumers recognize
the potential benefits of SDV technology, including:

Fewer accidents and
injuries caused by aggressive
driving or DUIs

According to The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
more than 35,000 people were killed in
traffic accidents in 2015, and traffic fatalities went up by 10.4 percent in the first half
of 2016. Ninety-four percent of U.S. traffic
accidents are caused by human error.
With self-driving technology, human error
will no longer be an issue, making our
roads much safer for our families and us.

More savings on
car-related expenses

The costs of insurance, repairs, licensing
and even the time spent in traffic or
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finding parking can add up. The time
and gas spent commuting just in urban
areas comes to $160 billion each year.
A Ruderman Family Foundation report
expects that self-driving cars will produce
$1.3 trillion in savings from increased
productivity and decreased gas expenses
and accidents. SDVs could also lead insurance companies to lower premiums by
40 percent or more, according to multinational insurance agency Aon.

More mobility options
for people with disabilities

Self-driving cars will open up more possibilities for the 20 to 30 million Americans
of driving age whose physical disabilities
have prevented them from driving, as well

as the 16 million Americans over the age
of 65 who have little or no access to public
transportation. Self-driving technology
will allow millions of our peers to explore
and participate in community life in ways
that simply weren't possible before, as well
as join the workforce and better support
the local, state and national economies.
Our policymakers also recognize the
benefits of self-driving technology
for Americans. In September, the House
of Representatives passed H.R. 3388,
also known as the SELF DRIVE Act of
2017, to deal with the patchwork of rules
and regulations acting as a speed bump
to testing self-driving cars' full potential.
Thanks to the leadership of Chairmen
Greg Walden (R-OR) and Bob Latta
(R-OH), Ranking Members Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) and Jan Schakowsky
(D-IL), and Debbie Dingell (D-MI),
we now have a clearer and more efficient regulatory environment in which
to safely develop, test and deploy
innovative self-driving technology.
The legislation also provides more
direction on the proper roles of state and
federal governments in regulating selfdriving cars and improves NHTSA's
ability to adapt federal safety standards
to self-driving technology. These
much-needed changes signal that our
policymakers are ready to give American
consumers what they want: a green
light for self-driving vehicle technology.
At CTA, we are encouraged by
NHTSA's updates to the Federal Automated Vehicles Policy (FAVP). The
administration's new state legislative
recommendations encourage a uniform,
"technology-neutral" approach to selfdriving cars in which SDVs are treated
as regular vehicles by states. The process
is a win for both companies and consumers by respecting the sensitivity of
proprietary IP information while ensuring timely access to the self-driving
technology that Americans want.
There is an exciting road ahead for
self-driving cars and self-driving technology. Luckily in this regulatory environment, it won't be long before we can
enjoy the benefits of SDVs.
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

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P O L I CY U P DAT E

i3 - November/December 2017

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