Donald Trump is all about propping up big businesses (small businesses, not so much) and cutting regulations. Lately, his administration has decided to dispense with certain long-established regulatory precedents for the sake of making things a little bit easier on the blossoming self-driving car industry.
On Thursday, Trump’s Transportation Secretary, Sean P. Duffy, announced that, next year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be rolling out three new rules designed to “modernize” the government’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for vehicles with “automated driving systems.” In theory, the new rules are designed to unencumber automakers as they attempt to develop and commercialize self-driving vehicles.
“America must lead the way in transportation innovation. If we don’t, our adversaries will fill the void,” said Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “The rules of the road need to be updated to fit the realities of the 21st century. Our changes will eliminate redundant requirements and bring us closer to a single national standard that spurs innovation and prioritizes safety.”
“Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were written for vehicles with human drivers and need to be updated for autonomous vehicles. Removing these requirements will reduce costs and enhance safety. NHTSA is committed to supporting the safe development of advanced technologies and advancing a new era of transportation,” NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser said.
According to the announcement, the administration is targeting the following rules for relaxation:
FMVSS No. 102, “Transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock and transmission braking effect.”
FMVSS No, 103, “Windshield defrosting and defogging systems,” and FMVSS No. 104, “Windshield wiping and washing systems.”
FMVSS No. 108, “Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.”
Some self-driving car companies say they have encountered regulatory trouble because much of the legal framework for car safety was designed with human-operated vehicles in mind. Earlier this year, Aurora Innovation, an automated trucking firm based in Pennsylvania, sued an agency within the Department of Transportation over a regulatory dispute. Aurora had previously asked the government to exempt it from a regulation that states truck drivers must deploy roadside warning devices whenever they’re stopped on the side of the road. Since Aurora doesn’t have human drivers, its vehicles obviously couldn’t deploy the devices. The government denied the request, which kicked off the litigation.
Many of these regulations were conceived with the idea that self-driving cars need a human babysitter. In recent years, we’ve seen limited deployment of autonomous vehicles that, under certain conditions, can mostly get by on their own. Still, this tech is in its infancy, and even a company as big and well-funded as Tesla needs human drivers to be present in its robotaxis. Even if the tech was fully baked, we might still see companies include windshield wipers. Being a passenger in a self-driving taxi is already a bit disconcerting. Not being able to see out the window during a downpour is sure to set off panic attacks. But hey, the Trump administration needs to throw its pals some kind of bone, even if it’s largely symbolic, right?