| Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Advocates’ Statement on Uber Driverless Car Crash

Last night’s fatal crash in Arizona, in which a pedestrian was killed by an Uber operating in autonomous mode, is a startling and tragic reminder that there are real-world consequences to putting unproven autonomous vehicles (AVs), or driverless cars, on the road without proper safeguards and oversight. Crashes like this one are precisely what we have been worried about and are the reason why we have repeatedly called on Congress to make crucial safety improvements to legislation that would open the floodgates for millions of driverless cars to be sold to the public.

Letter to Senate on Deadly Takata Airbags & Driverless Cars

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.

Broad Coalition Asks DOT For Stronger Driverless Car Rules

A broad coalition of state and national organizations representing public health and safety professionals, bicyclists, pedestrians, smart growth advocates, consumers, environmentalists, law enforcement, first responders, and individuals with disabilities called on U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Secretary Elaine L. Chao to get off the sidelines and fulfill the statutory duty of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to ensure appropriate action and effective oversight for the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles, or driverless cars.

Advocates Applauds Senators Asking For Improvements to Driverless Car Bill

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) applauds Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) for their leadership in calling for critical safety improvements to legislation on autonomous vehicles (AVs), AV START Act, S.1885, pending in the United States Senate. The bill would allow for the mass deployment of millions of unproven AVs, or driverless cars, to be sold to consumers without fundamental safeguards in place.