With self-driving vehicles allowed on public streets in 20 states, federal regulators are beginning to scrutinize the industry for safety concerns.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating self-driving taxis from General Motors subsidiary Cruise, which have been involved in multiple incidents that resulted in unsafe conditions. As Dan Zukowski explains in Smart Cities Dive, “These events, NHTSA said, could lead to dangerous situations for passengers such as their having to exit the vehicle in traffic or leave a vehicle stranded in an intersection.”
According to Zukowski, “NHTSA last year ordered manufacturers and operators to report crashes involving vehicles equipped with automated driving systems; it is also investigating 830,000 Tesla cars equipped with the Autopilot driver assistance system.” Between July 2021 and May 2022, AVs were involved in 130 crashes. Today, 20 states allow the testing or deployment of automated vehicles without a human driver present. “While federal regulations limit the number of fully automated vehicles an operator can deploy, there are no federal safety regulations specific to autonomous vehicle operational standards.”
Volkswagen and Ford recently pulled support from their autonomous vehicle investments. As Ford CEO Jim Farley explained in October, “profitable, fully autonomous vehicles at scale are a long way off.”
FULL STORY: Federal safety regulators begin investigation into self-driving taxis
Opinion: Regulation Must Precede the Mass Rollout of Autonomous Cars
The time to craft a comprehensive set of regulations governing safety, privacy, accessibility, and equity is now.
NHTSA Cuts Could Make Roads More Dangerous
The agency is losing almost half of the team that oversees autonomous vehicle safety, among dozens of other key personnel.
Making Autonomous Vehicles Safer for Blind Pedestrians
A team of researchers is developing a dataset to fill a critical gap in self-driving cars’ learning models.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research