CR Calls For Greater Action by Transportation Department
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation today released long-awaited safety guidance on highly automated vehicles, including fully and partially self-driving cars. In a fact sheet, the department said the new Federal Automated Vehicles Policy “will bring lifesaving technologies to the roads safely while providing innovators the space they need to develop new solutions.”
Consumer Reports, which independently evaluates automated systems at its 327-acre Auto Test Center, has pushed for companies to put consumers’ safety first as they roll out these technologies, and for regulators to set robust standards.
Marta Tellado, President and CEO of Consumer Reports, said, “Consumers need more than just guidelines. This new policy comes with a lot of bark, but not enough bite. While these technologies have the potential to save lives, there must be strong federal standards to protect all drivers. We can’t just leave it to the states to do the hard work of deciding whether to let a self-driving car on public roads.
“These cars won’t be widely accepted until consumers can trust they are safe. We urge the Transportation Department to move quickly to put actual safety standards in place for how these systems are designed and tested, before these vehicles wind up on the road.”
Today’s release by NHTSA includes voluntary guidance for how to assess automated systems so they operate safely, a model state policy developed with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), and an explanation of the regulatory tools the department plans to use to oversee self-driving technologies. It does not include mandatory, enforceable safety standards. Consumer Reports believes that binding rules will be necessary to ensure the safety and consistent performance of automated technologies and that regulators must be prepared to issue them when warranted.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
David Butler, dbutler@consumer.org, 202-462-6262
Kara Kelber, kara.kelber@consumer.org, 202-462-6262
Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports
About Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is the world’s largest and most trusted nonprofit consumer organization, working to improve the lives of consumers by driving marketplace change. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has achieved substantial gains for consumers on food and product safety, financial reform, health reform, and many other issues. The organization has advanced important policies to prohibit predatory lending practices, combat dangerous toxins in food, and cut hospital-acquired infections. Consumer Reports tests and rates thousands of products and services in its 50-plus labs, state-of-the-art auto test center, and consumer research center. It also works to enact pro-consumer laws and regulations in Washington, D.C., in statehouses, and in the marketplace. An independent nonprofit, Consumer Reports accepts no advertising, payment, or other support from the companies that create the products it evaluates.
SEPTEMBER 2016
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