Upton, Dingell Plug Self-Driving as Auto Show Convenes; ITIF Suggests Policy Principles

Self-driving technology would benefit from bipartisan legislation to “prioritize protections for consumers, enhance cybersecurity protections, reaffirm the role and responsibilities of federal and state governments” and update federal motor vehicle standards to account for advances in technology, said Reps. Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., in an op-ed in Monday's Detroit Free Press. They said they've been working on the bipartisan legislation, Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research in Vehicle Evolution Act (Self-Drive) Act (HR-3388), which the House passed unanimously in September (see 1709060035) that would grant automakers exemptions from safety standards to test more vehicles and would pre-empt state laws that the auto industry said would create a patchwork of regulations. The North American International Auto Show is this week, exhibiting mobility-focused technologies in vehicles, and some lawmakers will be there. Tuesday, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation recommended policy principles for connected vehicle policy issues: support vehicle-to-everything (V2X) infrastructure; promote national cooperation and interoperability for V2X; incentivize companies to protect consumers; ensure regulations are technology neutral; rely on transparent industry-led standards for data protection; restrict scope creep for regulators overseeing connected vehicle privacy; allow vehicle owners to access and use their own data; and permit after-market modifications and repairs while protecting copyright holders’ rights.