Google, Uber, others ally to push for policy

Car makers Ford and Volvo along with ride-sharing startup Uber’s rival Lyft rounded out a roster of five founding members of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets. Former US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator David Strickland was named as coalition counsel and spokesperson. “Self-driving vehicle technology will make America’s roadways safer and less congested,” Strickland said in a release. 

“The best path for this innovation is to have one clear set of federal standards, and the coalition will work with policymakers to find the right solutions that will facilitate the deployment of self-driving vehicles.” 

Google, Lyft and auto industry executives urged lawmakers last month to help create a regulatory fast lane to facilitate the introduction of self-driving cars. In testimony at a Senate hearing, representatives of General Motors and auto-equipment maker Delphi touted what they said were numerous safety and environmental benefits of autonomous vehicles. 

Chris Urmson, who heads the Google self-driving car project, said a consistent regulatory framework is important to deploying those technologies, and that conflicting rules in US states could limit innovation.