In a recent confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee, Sean Duffy, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Transportation, commented on the ongoing safety investigations into Tesla’s advanced driving technology. Duffy expressed a willingness to allow the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to continue their investigations. This stance may potentially set him up for a confrontation with Elon Musk, a notable supporter of the president-elect and the head of Tesla.
“Yes, I commit to this committee and to you that I will let NHTSA do their investigation,” Duffy stated.
Musk’s Influence and Tesla’s Safety Concerns
These comments follow several months of reporting on Elon Musk’s significant influence over Trump’s transition. Musk has reportedly been involved in meetings with potential appointees, vetting of new hires, and even volunteered to co-lead a committee overseeing substantial spending cuts. There are also reports suggesting that Trump is considering policy decisions that would favor Musk’s business interests, such as terminating a crash reporting rule for partially and fully autonomous vehicles.
During the Biden administration, NHTSA launched multiple investigations into the safety of Tesla’s automated driving technology. One of the most significant probes culminated in a recall of over 2 million Tesla vehicles in December 2023, to install improved safeguards for the company’s Autopilot driver assist feature. NHTSA also initiated another investigation into the adequacy of the recall.
Need for Federal Regulation of Autonomous Vehicles
Duffy did not elaborate on the potential friction his role could cause with Musk. However, he did stress the necessity for national legislation to provide a uniform framework for the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles.
“This is not just a wonderful technology that has a potential of making our roads safer, but this is a national security issue. We can’t fall behind China or other countries as it comes to AV technology,” Duffy pointed out.
The current landscape is a patchwork of laws varying from state to state. Duffy advocates for a federal law applicable across the country, allowing for innovation within a safe, regulated environment.
Challenges in Implementing a National Law for Self-Driving Cars
As the transportation secretary, Duffy can use his position to champion a national law for self-driving cars. Trump is reportedly in favor of such legislation. However, over the past decade, Congress has considered several proposals with little progress. It remains unclear whether the significant differences can be resolved in time for the next legislative opportunity.
The federal government has generally been passive in regulating autonomous vehicles, leaving states to develop their own rules for safe deployment. This approach, according to Duffy, is not ideal. Legislation aiming to increase the number of AVs on the road has been stalled in Congress for over seven years, with lawmakers disagreeing over safety, liability, and the appropriate number of exemptions from federal motor vehicle safety standards.
NHTSA’s New Framework for Autonomous Vehicles
In a positive development, NHTSA has recently released a new voluntary framework for autonomous vehicles designed to facilitate the rollout of fully driverless cars. This framework can potentially serve as a stepping stone towards more comprehensive federal legislation on autonomous vehicles in the future.
Source: The Verge
