Sen. Peters Opening Statement at Commerce Committee Hearing on Self-Driving Cars & the Future of the Auto Industry

WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) participated in the Senate Commerce Committee hearing on self-driving cars and the future of the auto industry. Below is the text of his opening statement as prepared for delivery and video of his remarks:

“As a Senator representing Michigan and the Motor City, I am thrilled by the incredible developments in our auto industry. US auto manufacturers are forming innovative partnerships and creating new jobs that will lead to extraordinary breakthroughs in vehicle safety and performance and provide solutions to our biggest mobility challenges.

“I want to thank all of the witnesses for being here today to discuss this new frontier –particularly, connected and automated vehicle technologies and their life-saving and life-improving benefits – and the challenges that we as policymakers must resolve in order for this future to be realized.

“In 2015, 38,300 people lost their lives on U.S. roads. Your companies are developing technologies that could dramatically reduce the number of deaths. And Congress must ensure that your efforts are not delayed or deterred.

“That means that Congress has to ensure that the FCC, DOT, and NTIA are thoroughly testing any proposal for spectrum sharing in the 5.9 GHz band between DSRC safety-critical signals and unlicensed WiFi devices. Connected vehicle technologies should not compromised by someone’s connected toaster or light switch.

“The technologies of today and tomorrow must be safe from cyber threats and protect users’ privacy.

“We must avoid a patchwork of state regulations that will only stunt the development and deployment of these technologies, and instead work to implement a consistent national policy.

“We must think carefully about the insurance implications of connected and automated cars and the possibility of liability shifting to the manufacturers as human control of the vehicles dissipates – potentially resulting in greater cost for coverage.

“And finally, we must increase our investments in connected and automated vehicle research and development. I support the Administration’s 10 year, 3.9 billion dollar proposal for this purpose, and particularly the $200 million in the DOT FY17 request for funding large-scale pilot programs that will accelerate these technologies.

“It is essential that a portion of this money goes toward funding a designated national facility where academia, industry and government can come together to conduct connected and automated vehicle research, testing, product development and certification. Countries like Sweden, Korea, China, and Japan have already established these test sites.

“Thank you Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson for starting the conversation today. I’d like to invite you all to join the Smart Transportation Caucus that I co-chair with Senator Gardner so it can serve as a forum for continued policy discussions on this important topic.”