Congress is still spinning its wheels on autonomous vehicle regulation
On Wednesday, Congress held its first hearing on autonomous vehicles in over two years, and there was not a lot to show for it. At the end of the four-and-a-half-hour event, there was no indication that lawmakers were any closer to a consensus on how best to regulate this rapidly emerging technology.
AV legislation has been stalled in Congress for over five years now, with lawmakers unable to reconcile differences over proposals to increase the number of autonomous vehicles on the road and prohibit states from setting their own performance standards. And after yesterday’s hearing, it was clear that a new set of concerns has risen in the interim, including the need to protect workers displaced by automation and to differentiate between...