On June 13, the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works held a hearing on “Innovation and America’s Infrastructure: Examining the Effects of Emerging Autonomous Technologies on America’s Roads and Bridges,” focused on examining the impact autonomous technologies will have on the nation’s surface road infrastructure. The hearing further examined legislation, including S.1885, the AV START Act, which would regulate self-driving vehicle technologies. Despite being voted out of the Senate Committee on Commerce in 2017, the bill remains on hold before the full Senate.
Appearing at the hearing as witnesses were William Panos, Director of the Wyoming Department of Transportation; Shailen Bhatt, President of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America; Zachary Doerzaph, Director of the Center for Advanced Automotive Research; Polly Trottenberg, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner; and Shaun Kildare, Director of Research at Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
Of particular interest to Senators on the Committee were cybersecurity concerns that typically arise with automated transportation technologies, including whether self-driving vehicles have the capability to withstand cyber-attacks, and what steps companies need to take to enhance cybersecurity protections. Top of mind for many committee members were the recent fatal crashes involving autonomous vehicles.
Other issues raised included how to modernize broadband infrastructure in rural areas to meet the technological needs of self-driving vehicles, testing connection technology for autonomous vehicles, and whether autonomous vehicles would have real-time adaptability to adjust to unexpected driving conditions, such as defaced or inoperable traffic signs and signals.
During the hearing, the witnesses expressed varying levels of support for this evolving technology, reiterating the need for visibility into data on autonomous vehicles for the purpose of further research on safety operations and appropriate federal and state standards for autonomous vehicle technology. The AV START Act is not yet scheduled for a vote before the full Senate.
