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A broad alliance of local, state and national organizations representing safety, law enforcement and first responders, public health, bicyclists and pedestrians, engineering, environmental and consumer groups, disability communities and families affected by motor vehicle crashes sent this letter to Senators urging them to oppose the AV START Act (S. 1885).  This deficient bill fails to sufficiently address known problems revealed by the dangerous and deadly crashes involving vehicles equipped with highly and partially automated driving systems.

A broad and diverse coalition of local, state and national organizations representing safety, public health, bicyclists, pedestrians, engineers, smart growth, consumer and environmental groups, law enforcement and first responders, disability communities and families affected by motor vehicle crashes sent the following letter to Senators calling on them to oppose attempts to attach the AV START Act (S. 1885) to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act (S. 1405).

In preparation for tomorrow’s hearing “Complex Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities: Lessons Learned from Spectre and Meltdown,” we write to highlight the critical problems related to the cybersecurity of connected and autonomous vehicles (AVs).  As these cars will be “computers on wheels,” it is absolutely essential that strong protections be in place to safeguard against potentially catastrophic instances of vehicle hacking.

Leading state and national stakeholders representing safety, public health, bicyclists, pedestrians, smart growth, consumer and environmental organizations, law enforcement and first responders, disability communities, and individuals affected by motor vehicle crashes asked the U.S. Senate to back off plans to move the AV START Act (S. 1885) that could set driverless car policy for decades to come until the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) completes important investigations into recent crashes involving automated driving systems that have killed at least two people – including a pedestrian walking a bicycle.

A coalition of organizations representing public health and safety professionals, smart growth advocates, bicyclists, pedestrians, consumers, first responders, and individuals with disabilities urged the leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee to ensure that future tragedies like exploding Takata airbags are not repeated with the mass deployment of experimental autonomous vehicles, or driverless cars. Both the Takata recall and the tragic crash late Sunday where an Uber being driven in autonomous mode struck and killed a pedestrian show what happens when vehicles are allowed on public roads without proper government safeguards and oversight.

The Nation’s leading state and national groups representing public health and safety, bicyclists, pedestrians, disability communities, consumers, law enforcement, environmentalists, first responders, smart growth advocates and crash victims’ families urge Senate leaders to make essential improvements to legislation addressing autonomous vehicles, or driverless cars, the AV START Act (S.1885) and to disregard the artificial urgency to rush the bill through. This diverse coalition clearly demonstrates widespread alarm and skepticism about the industry’s unfounded and unreliable arguments about the urgent need to pass this flawed bill.

In preparation for tomorrow morning’s hearing, “Driving Automotive Innovation and Federal Policies” by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, leading organizations representing consumers, safety advocates, persons with disabilities, law enforcement, and victims and survivors of motor vehicle crashes sent a letter voicing strong concerns about the AV START Act, S. 1885.  A more detailed statement from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety will be submitted to the Committee tomorrow morning.