- Automated Vehicles could make our roads safer, but the SELF DRIVE Act lacks proper safety standards.
- FABB encourages riders to Speak Up and tell Congress to put safety first and oppose the SELF DRIVE Act.
FABB joins with the League of American Bicyclists in urging riders to let Congress know that legislation on the future of automated vehicles (AVs) must include appropriate safety standards for people biking and walking.
Last week the Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research in Vehicle Evolution Act (SELF DRIVE Act) was re-introduced in the US House of Representatives to provide standards for the testing and deployment of self-driving cars. The legislation, initially passed by the House in 2017, was later rejected by the Senate. The re-introduced act provides a federal framework for autonomous vehicle regulation but exempts AVs from certain national safety standards to get cars to market quicker while preempting states from passing safety laws regarding AVs.
Currently, the U.S. Department of Transportation offers only guidance to companies developing self-driving cars, and, in the absence of federal standards, companies rely on a patchwork of state laws that do not fully address safety risks. Unfortunately, the SELF DRIVE Act fails to include basic safety requirements to ensure AVs can detect, identify and respond to pedestrians, bicyclists, or other vulnerable road users.
Join with FABB and the League in telling Congress that Automated Vehicle regulations must include strong controls and safeguards for the safety of people biking and walking. Visit the League’s contact page here to send an email to your representative today telling them that you bike and vote and that they should withhold their support for this inadequate piece of legislation.
