What We’re Reading
May 4, 2022
$100K Tesla Model S Totaled In Crash: TeslaCam Footage Used As Evidence (InsideEVs, May 1, 2022)
How helpful is dashcam video in proving who is at fault in an accident? As this incident shows, it is critical. As a Tesla Model S was turning left through an intersection, its “TeslaCam” caught another car running the red light, causing a crash. Without the video, the insurer would have found the Model S driver at fault, applying standard right-of-way rules. But with the video, it was clear that the other driver was to blame.
There is no doubt that dashcam video will become critical to liability determinations—for insurers as well as law enforcement, potential litigants, and other interested parties. Imagine what VPD could add to the analysis!
U.S. Senate Democrats urge Buttigieg to develop autonomous vehicle rules (Reuters, April 27, 2022)
Reuters reports that 12 U.S. Senate Democrats sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday, April 27, urging the development of a “comprehensive federal framework for autonomous vehicles.” The Senators expressed concerns that the U.S. lags behind other countries, specifically China, where the governments “have significantly invested in autonomous and connected vehicle technologies.” The Senators also raise questions about how NHTSA will evaluate manufacturers’ applications and whether the agency is providing “clarity about the timeline and procedures for the review process” for requests to deploy self-driving vehicles.
The letter was sent in advance of Buttigieg’s testimony yesterday, May 3, before the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee. During that testimony, Secretary Buttigieg recognized both that the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles would be beneficial in reducing highway deaths and involvement from Congress would be necessary to update our legislative framework to create oversight when cars become the drivers. He acknowledged that “the future of driving is unquestionably going to include automated vehicles,” (37:10) and committed to supporting innovation in ways that are “safe and beneficial.” Responding to questions from Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), one of the authors of the April 27 letter, Secretary Buttigieg indicated his belief that “there is more that we can be doing” within the existing regulatory and legislative framework to advance EV and AV technologies, but also that “we need to work with Congress” to develop a framework “that adequately contemplates these kinds of vehicles becoming more widespread” (47:14).
Secretary Buttigieg noted that the current Standing General Order by NHTSA allows the DOT to assess the safety of AVs and to take action if an AV or ADAS “poses an unreasonable risk to safety” (1:09). Buttigieg recognized that this process could be “refined,” though, and expressed a willingness to set up a pilot program to collect more “robust” data on AVs, in response to questions from Senator Young (R-IN).
Dude, where’s my (self-driving) car? (Politico, April 28, 2022)
One of our partners had to chuckle a bit when, on a recent car ride, our 14-year old passenger predicted that self-driving vehicles would be available by the time he learns to drive. In this quick read, multiple experts answer the question, “What today is the biggest obstacle to the widespread adoption of self-driving technology?” Their answers range from “robotics is hard” to a lack of specialized highways to unclear liability.