Congress

Advocates’ Statement on U.S. DOT 3.0 AV Guidelines

 150 150 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Today the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) released weak, voluntary guidelines allowing manufacturers of autonomous vehicles (AVs) to use our Nation’s roads and highways as proving grounds for unproven technology.  Instead of being called “3.0” guidelines, they should be considered “-1.0” guidelines because they throw our Nation’s AV policy in reverse.  AV manufacturers will continue to introduce extremely complex, supercomputers-on-wheels into the driving environment with meager government oversight and accountability.

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Statement on 2017 Motor Vehicle Crash Fatalities

 150 150 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released new data showing that motor vehicle crash fatalities remain at unacceptably high levels.  While it is welcome news that our Nation experienced a 1.8 percent decrease in crash fatalities from 2016 to 2017, the fact remains that more than 100 people are killed in preventable motor vehicle crashes each day on average.

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Advocates’ Statement on IIHS Underride Guard Test Results

 150 150 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Advocates for Highways and Auto Safety (Advocates) commends the eight largest North American manufacturers of semitrailer truck underride guards for earning the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) TOUGHGUARD award.  Strong underride guards are a proven solution to the horrific problem of underride crashes.  This critical safety feature helps to mitigate violent crashes in which a passenger vehicle collides with a truck or trailer, potentially shearing off the compartment of the car resulting in death and debilitating injuries of the occupants.

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Advocates’ Statement on Emerging Technologies to the Senate Commerce Committee

 150 150 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

AVs should not be prematurely deployed and sold before they can be safely operated on public roads and without commonsense government oversight in place.  Serious and fatal crashes involving AVs which have already occurred reveal significant flaws in this still developing technology.  In sum, the path to the safe and effective introduction of AVs requires government oversight, transparency and a comprehensive regulatory framework in all aspects from vehicle standards to infrastructure design.  

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