Executives from Waymo and Tesla faced questions from lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday amid scrutiny over their self-driving car technology.
Currently, there is a state-by-state patchwork of safety regulations on autonomous vehicles. But Congress is seeking to move forward with legislation that would create national regulations for self-driving cars, which have increased their presence in major U.S. cities in recent years.
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Members of the Senate Commerce Committee expressed a bipartisan desire for federal action to regulate the industry, saying current laws have not kept pace with technological advancements. Meanwhile, Tesla Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy sought to highlight the benefits of autonomous vehicles, including reducing drunken or distracted driving and reducing traffic deaths.
"I can tell you without a shadow of doubt that the next big jump we have in reducing the number from 40,000 [traffic deaths a year] to hopefully a day where it's zero is autonomous driving," Moravy said. "Simply put, an autonomous driver — the system, the computer that operates it — doesn't sleep, doesn't blink and doesn't get tired."
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Lawmakers acknowledged the promise of self-driving cars but also stressed that safety improvements are needed. They also discussed questions of liability — whether it should fall on a driver or manufacturer in the event of a crash.
Officials for Waymo and Tesla said their autonomous vehicles were built to comply with existing federal rules, but those regulations were written decades before self-driving technology became a reality.
