[msb-alumni] Government considers Google computer to be car's driver
- From: Steve <pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2016 15:55:36 -0500
BlankEncouraging. At least the federal government is taking a more progressive
view than the California Transportation Department.
Government considers Google computer to be car's driver By Tom Krisher and
Justin Pritchard, Associated Press Computers that control cars of the future
can
be considered drivers just like humans, the federal government's highway safety
agency has found. The redefinition of "driver" by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration is an important break for Google, taking it a step closer
to its goal of self-driving cars without steering wheels, pedals or human
drivers. But the company still has a long journey ahead before its cars get on
the road in great numbers. While the safety agency agreed with Google's
"driver"
reinterpretation in a recent letter, it didn't allow other concessions and said
numerous federal rules would have to be changed to permit the cars. "NHTSA will
interpret 'driver' in the context of Google's described motor vehicle design as
referring to the SDS (self-driving system) and not to any of the vehicle
oc'cup'ants," Paul Hemmersbaugh, NHTSA's chief counsel, wrote in the letter.
But
the agency rejected many of Google's claims that its cars met federal auto
safety standards, including a requirement for foot and hand brakes. Google said
the requirement wasn't necessary because the electronic driver can stop the
cars. Yet the government said regulations are clear and would have to be
changed
to allow that. "In a number of instances, it may be possible for Google to show
that certain (federal) standards are unnecessary for a particular vehicle
design," Hemmersbaugh wrote. "To date, however, Google has not made such a
showing. Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has suggested the cars could be
ready for the public in a few years. After several years of caution, last month
federal regulators said they wanted to help speed the technology's widespread
adoption if it proves to be safe. In letters over the past three months, Google
asked NHTSA to interpret safety standards in ways that would ease the path for
self-driving car prototypes to get into public hands. In order to put their
cars
on the road, automakers must self-certify that they meet federal safety
standards and get NHTSA's approval. While Hemmersbaugh's letter agrees about
the
computer as the driver, it says the company will have to apply for exemptions
to
the standards, and the agency will have to go through the cumbersome federal
rule-making process in some cases to get the cars approved. In January at the
Detroit auto show, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the government
wants to get autonomous cars on the road quickly and will fast-track policies
and possibly even waive regulations to do it. Foxx said NHTSA, which is part of
his department, will spend the next six months developing guidance for
automakers on what's expected of self-driving prototype cars and what sort of
tests should be used to make sure they are safe. The agency also will develop a
model policy for states to follow if they decide to allow autonomous cars on
public roads. That policy could eventually lead to consistent national
regulations for autonomous cars. Right now, individual states like California,
Florida and Nevada have their own regulations. Seven states and Washington,
D.C., allow autonomous vehicle testing on their roads, according to the
National
Conference of State Legislatures. The federal government isn't predicting when
autonomous cars will be on public roads in big numbers, but some automakers
have
said they could be in use in limited areas by 2020 and Google has been more
bullish than that. Foxx said the government believes self-driving vehicles
could
eventually cut traffic deaths, decrease highway congestion and improve the
environment. He encouraged automakers to come to the government with ideas
about
how to speed their development. Safety advocates worry the agency is getting
too
cozy with the auto industry when it comes to technology regulations. Google
spokesman Johnny Luu said the company had no comment beyond that it was
reviewing the agency's response.
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