More self-driving cars could soon be allowed on U.S. roads

An influential U.S. House committee has approved a bipartisan bill that would make it easier for companies to test and deployself-driving cars without human controls and bar states from blocking autonomous vehicles.

The bill would allow automakers to obtain exemptions todeploy up to 25,000 vehicles without meeting existing autoperformance standards in the first year, a cap that would rise to100,000 vehicles annually over three years.

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Automakers and technology companies believe chances are goodCongress will approve legislation before year end. They havebeen pushing for regulations making it easier to deployself-driving technology, while consumer groups have sought moresafeguards.

Current federal rules bar self-driving cars withouthuman controls on U.S. roads and automakers think proposed staterules in California are too restrictive.

1stmajorU.S. legislation

The measure, the first significant federal legislation aimedat speeding self-driving cars to market, would requireautomakers to submit safety assessment reports to regulators,but would not require pre-market approval of advanced vehicletechnologies.

The House of Representatives will take up the bill when itreconvenes in September, while senators plan to introduce aseparate similar measure.

"Our aim was to develop a regulatory structure that allowsfor industry to safely innovate with significant governmentoversight," said Rep.Greg Walden, who chairs theHouse energy and commerce committee.

Initially, authors proposed to allow automakers and othersto sell up to 100,000 vehicles immediately. Rep. FrankPallone said the phase-in period was essential so "millions ofexempted cars will not hit our roads all at once."

Manufacturers must demonstrate self-driving cars winningexemptions are at least as safe as existing vehicles.

Under the House proposal, states could still set rules onregistration, licensing, liability, insurance and safetyinspections, but could not set self-driving car performancestandards.

Automakers praised committee passage, while ConsumerWatchdog privacy director John Simpson said preempting statelaws "leaves us at the mercy of manufacturers as they use ourpublic highways as their private laboratories."

New urgency

General Motors Co., Alphabet Inc., Tesla Inc., Volkswagen AG and others have beenlobbying for legislation to speed deployment of self-drivingcars. Consumer advocates want more changes, including giving theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration quicker access tocrash data and more funding to oversee self-driving cars.

The issue has taken on new importancesince U.S. road deathsrose 7.7 per cent in 2015, the highest annual jump since 1966.

Automakers say that without changes in regulations, U.S.self-driving car testing could move to Europe and elsewhere.