US: Giving a push to the future of autonomous, self-driving vehicles, Anthony Foxx, Secretary of Transportation in Obama govt, announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will embark on several pilot programs to ensure the vehicles meet safety standards, at the North American Auto Show in Detroit.
The DOT is planning to chart a model in which, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will work with the vehicle industry and other involved parties to develop guidelines on the safe deployment and operation of self-driving cars, within a time period six months.
Secretary Foxx is encouraging vehicle manufacturers to submit rule interpretation requests, where appropriate, to help enable tech innovation. Secretary Foxx is also encouraging manufacturers to submit requests for the exemption authority to allow the deployment of fully autonomous vehicles. This exemption authority allows NHTSA to enable the deployment of up to 2,500 vehicles for up to two years if the agency determines that an exemption would aid in the development of new safety features.
Source: US govt
