The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators) has called on Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to implement a national performance-based framework for self-driving vehicles, according to a Reuters article. 

Reuters claims to have seen a letter sent by Auto Innovators to Duffy that asks the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to be the sole regulator of self-driving vehicle hardware, software, and operation. 

The letter also was signed by the Consumer Technology Association and the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, according to Reuters. 

“If the federal government fails to act to advance sensible AV policies we will cede our leadership in this economically crucial sector to China,” the letter says, according to Reuters. “Multiple agencies and state regulatory regimes create inconsistent rules, risking safety gaps and eroding public trust.”

According to Reuters, the groups are asking that the U.S. Transportation Department not require human drivers to operate self-driving commercial motor vehicles and allow self-driving trucks to use cab-mounted warning beacons. 

This would include NHTSA clarifying that no manually operable driving controls are required in self-driving vehicles nor would a driver’s license be necessary to ride in one.  

A study by ABI Research released last year predicts that by 2030, most vehicles on the road will offer SAE Level two or higher features. 

“Active safety systems offer limited support, keeping the driver fully in control. In contrast, driverless vehicles eliminate the need for human operators by handling all driving tasks autonomously,” the ABI Research study says. “Therefore, the automotive industry should adopt a scalable approach to their active safety, semi-autonomous, and fully driverless applications. Maximizing the re-use of components between different feature/disengagement combinations will yield many benefits to the market.”

The autonomous robotaxi industry has seen some scrutiny and difficulty since its inception in the U.S. 

General Motors closed its Cruise robotaxi business at the end of last year to restructure and focus on personal autonomous vehicles (AVs). 

The company previously suspended services following a 2023 incident in which a pedestrian was dragged 20 feet by one of the company’s vehicles. Following an investigation, it was ultimately forced to pay a $1.5 million fine to NHTSA.  

Cruise’s competitor, Waymo, remains in operation and claims, based on its own research, that its AVs have better safety performance than human-driven vehicles.

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