MEMA Applauds New Federal Automated Vehicle Policy Guidelines

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), whose 1,000 member companies lead the development of many of the advanced vehicle technologies used in automated vehicles, applauds the latest set of guidelines for automated vehicles from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This latest iteration called “Preparing for the Future of Transportation: Automated Vehicles 3.0”  was announced Oct. 4 by Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao and broadens the scope to different modes and agencies.

You can view the automated vehicles “3.0” guidelines here. The guidelines are in addition to, not in replacement of, the previous guidelines released in September 2017, Automated Driving Systems 2.0: A Vision for Safety.

MEMA will carefully review the latest guidelines and will work with members to develop comments to DOT. In addition to comments on the guidelines themselves, the guidelines announce several forthcoming rulemakings, including a request for comments from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on exemption petitions and a request for comments from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on inspection, repair, and maintenance for automated driving systems.  The 3.0 guidelines also no longer recognize the designations of ten “Automated Vehicle Proving Grounds” by the Obama administration, and instead discuss a pilot program on public roads.

Suppliers lead the way in developing and deploying a wide range of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), connected vehicle technologies and other advanced safety innovations. Suppliers are critical in the ongoing development and implementation of these technologies, which are the building blocks necessary for vehicles enabled with automated driving systems to reach their full potential.

For more information, please contact Leigh Merino.