A group of car manufacturers, technology firms and service providers have joined forces to promote self-driving car technology and make autonomous cars a reality.
According to ITPro, Google, Volvo, Ford, Lyft and Uber have formed the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets. The group aims to help shape the future laws and requirements before the autonomous cars can hit the public roads.
The Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets will present its suggestions and ideas in the hope that autonomous cars will be allowed to drive on public highways sooner. The group also aims to communicate the benefits of self-driving cars to the public.
David Strickland, a former U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration official, will be the group's spokesman and counsel, advising the group how they should be tackling the government and public's doubts and providing information on the safety issues involved. Strickland said in a statement that innovation in the field of driverless cars needs a clear set of federal standards.
At present, automated vehicles that do not have common car components, such as pedals, breaks or steering wheels, are currently illegal in some U.S. states. For example, California is attempting to make it illegal to operate such vehicles on its roads.
Rather than a different set of regulations in each state, Google is lobbying for a law to cover the entire U.S. The Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets said in a statement that self-driving technology will come with many benefits, including reduced traffic congestion, enhanced mobility for the elderly and disabled, better public safety, transportation efficiency and improved environmental quality.
Ford added that the group's purpose is to advocate for policy solutions that will support the deployment of fully autonomous vehicles. According to the website tech.firstpost.com, the coalition will help policymakers to find the best solutions that will help promote self-driving technology and facilitate advancements in the field.
