Despite last minute efforts to address concerns of
various groups who opposed the bill, Members of the
115th Congress ultimately failed to pass the American
Vision for Safer Transportation through Advancement of
Revolutionary Technologies Act (AV Start Act), before the end of their session
on the last week of 2018. The AV Start Act would have created a
framework for regulating, testing and deploying automated vehicles,
with the goal of ensuring the safety of highly automated vehicles
(HAVS).
Opponents of the AV Start Act cited the threat of public safety
as their chief concern, noting that the bill rushed to allow the
widespread sale of automobiles under the façade of safety,
but would not require them to meet all of current safety standards.
It was less than a year ago that an Uber self-driving car killed a woman, after
failing to make an emergency stop. The National Transportation
Safety Board also has pending investigations into crashes involving
cars with partial
