Reuters, WASHINGTON -A coalition of organizations representing the industry said on Thursday that the developing sector runs the risk of losing out to rivals like China and that the US self-driving transportation Department must promote the development of autonomous vehicles.
In a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the Autonomous Vehicle Sector Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, and others stated that “the AV industry is at a critical juncture and in need of strong leadership from USDOT.”
The letter stated that “with countries like China aggressively investing and advancing the technology,” the department’s support for AV development is critical to maintaining our nation’s competitive edge.
Buttigieg’s spokeswoman refrained from commenting right away.
The letter claimed that “because they eliminate human errors like fatigued, impaired, and distracted driving,” self-driving cars might save thousands of lives every year.
Following a string of mishaps involving Cruise vehicles, California banned General Motors’ Cruise robotaxis’ ability to test on public roads in October, citing public safety concerns. This has created additional challenges for the industry.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched additional safety investigations and is looking into whether Cruise is taking enough safety measures to protect pedestrians.
Congress has not moved forward with legislation to expedite the deployment of robotaxis for over five years.
The problems facing Cruise are a serious blow to a business that depends on public confidence and regulatory collaboration. According to GM CEO Mary Barra, Cruise needs to mend fences with authorities.
To guarantee the safety of autonomous vehicles, Buttigieg was pushed by more than two dozen unions to take further action last month. They stated that “NHTSA must initiate an industry-wide investigation to determine the true extent of the safety failures behind the scenes.”