U.S. Signals Backing for Self-Driving Cars

["Dave Farber" <farber () gmail com>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Hendricks Dewayne <dewayne () warpspeed com>
> Date: September 20, 2016 at 5:12:19 AM EDT
> To: Multiple recipients of Dewayne-Net <dewayne-net () warpspeed com>
> Subject: [Dewayne-Net] U.S. Signals Backing for Self-Driving Cars
> Reply-To: dewayne-net () warpspeed com
>
> U.S. Signals Backing for Self-Driving Cars
> By CECILIA KANG
> Sep 19 2016
> <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/technology/self-driving-cars-guidelines.html>
>
> WASHINGTON — Federal auto safety regulators on Monday made it official: They are betting the nation’s highways will 
> be safer with more cars driven by machines and not people.
>
> In long-awaited guidelines for the booming industry of automated vehicles, the Obama administration promised strong 
> safety oversight, but sent a clear signal to automakers that the door was wide open for driverless cars.
>
> “We envision in the future, you can take your hands off the wheel, and your commute becomes restful or productive 
> instead of frustrating and exhausting,” said Jeffrey Zients, director of the National Economic Council, adding that 
> highly automated vehicles “will save time, money and lives.”
>
> The statements were the most aggressive signal yet by federal regulators that they see automated car technology as a 
> win for auto safety. Yet having officially endorsed the fast-evolving technology, regulators must now balance the 
> commercial interests of companies including Tesla, Google and Uber with concerns over public safety, especially in 
> light of recent crashes involving semiautonomous cars.
>
> The policies unveiled on Monday were designed to walk that line. In a joint appearance, Mr. Zients and Anthony Foxx, 
> secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, released the first guidelines, which outlined safety 
> expectations and encouraged uniform rules for the nascent technology. The instructions signaled to motorists that 
> automated vehicles would not be a Wild West where companies can try anything without oversight, but were also vague 
> enough that automakers and technology companies would not fear overregulation.
>
> The new guidelines on Monday, which stopped short of official regulations, targeted four main areas. The Department 
> of Transportation announced a 15-point safety standard for the design and development of autonomous vehicles; called 
> for states to come up with uniform policies applying todriverless cars; clarified how current regulations can be 
> applied to driverless cars; and opened the door for new regulations on the technology.
>
> Regulators Step In as Companies Bet Big on Self-Driving Technology 
>
> Both Silicon Valley and Detroit are doubling down on their bets for autonomous vehicles. 
>
>    • Tech companies and automakers are investing heavily in self-driving technology, including Ford, Google, Volvo, 
> Tesla and BMW, among others.
>    • There is a range of technologies already in use for fully and semi-autonomous driving, including some that use 
> lasers.
>    • A Barclays analyst predicted recently that once autonomous vehicles become widely used, auto sales could fall as 
> much as 40 percent.
>
> [snip]
>
> Dewayne-Net RSS Feed: <http://dewaynenet.wordpress.com/feed/>



-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/18849915-ae8fa580
Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=18849915&id_secret=18849915-aa268125
Unsubscribe Now: 
https://www.listbox.com/unsubscribe/?member_id=18849915&id_secret=18849915-32545cb4&post_id=20160920060145:3880D622-7F19-11E6-922A-E09A43269112
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com