NHTSA partners with industry to craft safety standards for autonomous vehicles
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a collaboration with SAE to create data-driven performance standards for self-driving cars and trucks.
Autonomous vehicle makers have long operated without a clear, nationwide test for safety, prompting the NHTSA to seek a solution. At the AI Horizons Summit in Pittsburgh, Administrator Jonathan Morrison unveiled a partnership with SAE called ASCEND, intended to produce data-driven performance standards for automated driving systems. The consortium’s primary objective is to define an ADS competency framework that will inform future federal motor-vehicle safety regulations.
Morrison warned that the agency must avoid reactive "whack-a-mole" policymaking as technology evolves. While no deadline was set for the standards, industry players such as May Mobility, Aurora, and Waymo are expected to weigh in as the process moves forward.
Why it matters
A unified safety benchmark could accelerate safe deployment of self-driving cars across the United States.
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