DOT speeds up rule on connected and self-driving cars

DOT speeds up rule on connected and self-driving cars

The U.S. Department of Transportation has moved a step closer to regulating self-driving cars and vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V). Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said last week that he wants to speed up the timetable for proposing a rule that would require V2V in all new vehicles.

–V2V technology is a critical element of the connected automation that makes driverless cars as safe as possible,” Foxx wrote in a DOT blog post.

He has taken three actions to move toward a proposed rule. In addition to directing that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) accelerate the timetable for its proposed V2V requirement, Foxx said that DOT will conduct rapid testing to ensure that V2V transmissions arenêt obstructed by radio interference. He noted that many in Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and industry want to complete the testing within a year of receiving production-ready devices to test.

–Combined, these two commitments will accelerate the introduction of V2V and vehicle-to-infrastructure systems, which are key components of the connected, automated future,” Foxx wrote. He has also asked NHTSA to ensure that new regulations encourage innovations that improve traffic safety.

The FCC is considering narrowing the portion of the wireless spectrum reserved for vehicle communication, and a bill in Congress would require automakers to share the spectrum with electronic devices.

Under the new timetable, a regulation could be introduced before President Obama leaves office in January 2017, according to the Detroit News.

The Association of Global Automakers applauded Foxxês move. –Global Automakers appreciates DOTês commitment to maintain this bandwidth, and its willingness to test safe-sharing proposals,” the group said in a statement. Automakers are working with DENSO and Cisco Systems, Inc., to test sharing that is compatible with V2V.