Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book Commentary: NHTSA and the DOT release "A Vision for Safety: 2.0"

CAI Atlanta; Earlier today, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced new guidelines for the development of autonomous vehicle technology in the United States. According to Cox Automotive analysts and experts, the new guidelines released by the DOT and NHTSA will be well received by automakers and tech companies pursuing self-driving technology. The guidelines -- A Vision for Safety: 2.0 -- focus on safety, flexibility that encourages innovation, and are designed to better clarify Federal and State roles.

Below is commentary from Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book analysts on this announcement. If you would like to speak to a member of the Cox Automotive team, feel free to reach out. We’d be happy to help.

Karl Brauer, executive publisher for Autotrader & Kelley Blue Book
“There are three major components of making self-driving cars a reality: technology, hardware and regulations. The technology and hardware are rapidly evolving at various companies, but neither will matter if the regulatory element takes forever to get resolved. This new set of guidelines from NHSTA is clearly designed to encourage more innovation, more testing and, ultimately, the safe deployment of self-driving cars. Clear guidelines that encourage innovation is what the industry needs as it moves toward the ultimate goal of safer, more efficient personal transportation.”

Rebecca Lindland, executive analyst for Kelley Blue Book:
“This is what autonomous vehicle developers have been asking for. The DOT is clearly focused on safety, but at the same time, NHSTA’s guidelines should provide the flexibility developers want. Importantly, this set of regulations should help prevent a patchwork of state and federal standards, the type of competing regulations that can quickly strangle innovation.”