GAO Report On Automated Vehicles Finds DOT Needs Roadmap

On November 30, 2017, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report ("Report") outlining its findings of the key challenges facing policy-makers as the regulatory environment seeks to promote the introduction of automated driving systems (ADS) on our nation's public roads. While GAO recognizes the life-saving potential of this new technology (noting that 94 percent of crashes are tied to human choice or error), it cautions that policy-makers, including those at the Department of Transportation (DOT), will likely face emerging safety and infrastructure challenges as automated vehicle technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. In order to rise to these challenges, GAO recommends that DOT adopt a comprehensive plan in order to avoid "miss[ing] the opportunity to organize, prioritize, and clearly monitor the progress" of its efforts to promote the safe integration of ADS onto our roadways. In compiling its report, GAO interviewed a broad range of