18 Sep 2017
Bijan Koohmaraie, ’14, drafted the first self-driving car bill to be introduced to Congress, the Self Drive Act. Koohmaraie is Counsel for the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the U.S. House of Representatives.
House lawmakers approved the Self Drive Act on Wednesday, September 6. The legislation attempts to create a guide for the research and development of self-driving cars. The bill would allow companies that are building self-driving cars to apply for exemptions from the state and federal regulations that govern safety and design. Under the bill, automakers could eventually add up to 100,000 of these test vehicles to U.S. roads every year.
The Self Drive Act requires automakers to ensure that consumers and regulators are fully informed about the companies' approach to privacy and cybersecurity. In addition, the legislation calls on the Department of Transportation to review its own regulations, many of which define a car by referencing things such as steering wheels and brake pedals, features that automakers may choose to eliminate in these vehicles.
More information about the Self Drive Act is available from the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/09/06/the-house-just-paved-the-way-for-more-self-driving-cars/?utm_term=.f8f02bedfb53