Google, Ford, Lyft, Uber and Volvo Cars Form Autonomous Vehicle Lobby
On April 26th, Google, Ford, Lyft, Uber and Volvo Cars announced the formation of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets. These are some of the biggest names in their respective industries teaming up for one purpose: to advocate for autonomous vehicles. The group will first work with civic organizations, municipalities and businesses to bring the idea of self-driving vehicles to life.
The formation of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets comes at an interesting time in the development of autonomous cars, the whole concept is still very new and not a lot of regulations or standards have been passed. The group feels now is the time to create the standards for self-driving cars and get them on the road. 94% of road accidents are caused by human error, while there were 33,000 fatalities on U.S roads last year, according to The U.S Department of Transportation.
What is even more interesting than these powerhouse companies teaming together is that David Strickland, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from 2010-2014, will serve as the coalition’s counsel and spokesperson. He is the perfect choice for job. Strickland is very knowledgeable about both road safety and autonomous technology. While at NHTSA, Strickland issued the first-ever automated vehicle policy and also served as a leader in the campaigns to fight impaired and distracted driving. The NHTSA has been tasked to create a set of rules for autonomous cars by early summer.
“Self-driving vehicle technology will make America’s roadways safer and less congested. The best path for this innovation is to have one clear set of federal standards, and the Coalition will work with policymakers to find the right solutions that will facilitate the deployment of self-driving vehicles,” said Strickland in a press release.
The announcement of the formation of the group came one day before the NTSA’s second public meeting to develop safety guidelines for autonomous vehicles.
“The Department of Transportation is absolutely leaning forward on this technology, because we want to promote the innovations that will help save lives, and we want to make sure that we have effective ways of measuring and monitoring the technologies that are changing the way Americans drive today,” said NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind, in his opening remarks.
Autonomous vehicles are already changing the automotive industry. All of these companies have already invested a lot this concept. Google has been testing autonomous cars for years, and have recently also teamed up with Chrysler to make an autonomous minivan. Ford has been testing autonomous cars in the dark and snow. General Motors have recently invested $500 million into Lyft. Uber reportedly ordered 100,000 autonomous cars from Mercedes in March. Self-driving Volvos could be on the streets of London next year.
Autonomous cars are coming sooner than you think. Self-driving technology reduces traffic and pollution, while also improving safety and public mobility.
