[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 13421-13422]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           AUTOMATED VEHICLES

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the incredible 
future of mobility in this country. Earlier this week, the Department 
of Transportation, or DOT, made history by releasing its official 
Federal policy for automated vehicles. This marks a major milestone in 
the effort to bring driverless cars to American roads and to ensure 
that our country remains the world leader in the next generation of 
transportation.
  DOT's Federal policy contains four key components. The first outlines 
a 15-point safety assessment for the safe design, development, testing, 
and deployment of automated vehicles. This

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is a meaningful first step, the first Federal guidance for automotive 
manufacturers seeking to develop and deploy these new technologies.
  The second component outlines the distinct Federal and State roles 
for regulation of automated vehicles, moving us toward a uniform 
national framework for the regulation in this space.
  Third, the policy makes a Federal commitment to expedite the safe 
introduction of automated vehicles into the marketplace. The Department 
of Transportation will streamline its procedures to be more responsive 
to consumers and innovative manufacturers alike.
  Finally, the policy presents a number of novel considerations that 
Congress should closely examine. This includes new tools and 
authorities that the DOT might need in the future as automated vehicle 
technology advances and we begin to see deployment on a much wider 
scale.
  Last year, over 35,000 lives were lost in motor vehicle crashes. We 
saw the largest annual percentage rise in deaths on our roads for the 
past 50 years--50. This is simply unacceptable. Connected and automated 
vehicle technologies have the potential to drastically reduce this 
troubling statistic and help ensure that at the end of the day, our 
children, our parents, and all of our family and friends are able to 
travel on our roads and make it home safe and sound.
  We need to roll up our sleeves and do our part to ensure successful 
implementation of this policy. Many of our existing laws and 
regulations were enacted long before modern vehicles. Now is the time 
to consider updating policies from a time when the most advanced 
onboard electronics in our cars and trucks were AM radios. We need to 
do this the right way and ensure that these cars and trucks are 
introduced safely as we work through the challenges facing wide-scale 
deployment and the adoption of these absolutely revolutionary 
technologies. This means we need to take a hard look at issues such as 
automotive liability, consumer education, data and cyber security, and 
the future of the American workforce.
  As a member of Senate Commerce Committee and as the cofounder of the 
Smart Transportation Caucus, I am committed to leading these important 
discussions on Capitol Hill. As a start, I would like to take a moment 
to highlight some of what I believe are the key aspects of DOT's four-
part Federal policy. Safety, of course, is paramount, and the new 
safety assessment emphasizes consumer education and awareness. Just as 
prior generations had to adapt to the innovation of stoplights and the 
construction of interstate highways, Americans in the coming months and 
years will learn how to operate and share the road with automated 
vehicles.
  To save lives, consumers must trust that the technology underpinning 
this revolution in transportation is completely safe. It will require 
public-private cooperation to improve consumer understanding and 
adoption of these technologies. We also cannot ignore the new threats 
facing modern vehicles, as they are increasingly connected to each 
other and to the infrastructure.
  It is critical that the 15-point assessment promotes built-in cyber 
security from the very start of vehicle development lifestyle. I am 
encouraged that DOT is addressing data recording, data sharing, and 
data privacy. We need to know how these automated systems work and what 
happens when they don't. We also need to ensure that this data is 
shared and protected.
  Finally, I support DOT's emphasis on continuing collaborative work 
among industry, government, academic, and R&D communities to advance 
automated vehicles. In Michigan, we have already seen the benefits of 
such collaborative work at the Mcity testing facility in Ann Arbor. 
Soon, joint advanced research will take place on a much larger scale at 
the American Center for Mobility in Ypsilanti, where we will be 
testing, validating, and certifying the vehicles that will be driving 
America in the coming years.
  I look forward to the continued partnership with DOT to help advance 
the innovation that is driving the future of mobility, and I want to 
thank Secretary Foxx and Administrator Rosekind for their focus and 
hard work that made this week's historic announcement possible.
  This guidance demonstrates that America will be the global leader in 
the development and deployment of advanced vehicle technologies. You 
know, just 8 years ago, people were predicting the financial ruin of 
the auto industry here in America. Today, not only have we had the auto 
industry come roaring back with record sales, but we are now working to 
produce some of the greatest and most important innovations in American 
manufacturing history.
  (The remarks of Mr. Peters pertaining to the introduction of S. 3381 
are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills 
and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mr. PETERS. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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