Driverless rules out

The Obama administration’s proposed guidelines for autonomous cars will encourage carmakers, including Google and Uber, to share data, reports Automotive News. The regulations state that carmakers could share experiences with “edge cases” - rare scenarios that post the most difficult safety challenges. Regulators want vehicle performance assessments made public so that all carmakers can learn from the data available and enhance safety measures. The regulations released by the US Department of Transportation state that “highly automated vehicles have great potential to use data sharing to enhance and extend safety benefits. Thus, each entity should develop a plan for sharing its event reconstruction and other relevant data with other entities”. The guidelines represent a significant change for carmakers and technology company owners, who fiercely protect their data and aren’t known for collaboration. However, the rules are voluntary, with regulators only asking companies to share data. Jonathan Handel, an attorney with TroyGould, says the field is “extremely competitive and data has huge, huge value.” “Cooperation with the government is not a core value in Silicon Valley. It's a libertarian environment. This document says 'We really want you to share your data,' but they can't force them to. I don't think Silicon Valley is going to turn over the keys to the kingdom”. Google, Tesla and Uber declined to discuss the proposed guidelines. Uber referred reporters to a statement by advocacy group - the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets. David Strickland, the group’s general counsel, says “our members are supportive of the appropriate transfer of information.” However, when asked about sharing data with competitors, he says the topic is “worthy of a longer discussion.” Under the guidelines, the Department of Transport could also seek “pre-market approval” of autonomous technology. Instead of self-certification, the government could seek the authority to test cars before they go on roads. The guidelines also include recommendations for states to pass legislation on introducing self-driving cars safely on their motorways. They add that states should continue to license human drivers, enforce traffic laws, inspect vehicles for safety and regulate insurance and liability. The federal government should set standards for equipment, including computers that can take over the driving function. It will continue to investigate safety defects and enforce recalls. The National Highway Transport Safety Administration (NHTSA) also released a final enforcement guideline bulletin earlier this week, clarifying how its authority to order recalls will apply to autonomous cars. Under those guidelines, the agency says that semi-autonomous driving systems that fail to adequately account for the possibility that distracted drivers may not be able to take over in an emergency can be declared defective, and may be subject to a recall. Mark Rosekind, NHTSA administrator, says the agency is “absolutely extending its enforcement authority to all the new autonomous vehicles.” “That's the bottom line.” The proposed guidelines are expected to go into effect after a 60-day public comment period.