Transportation secretary proposes right to 'freedom cars'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a proposed federal law that would bar local or state governments from requiring automakers to equip vehicles with automated driving systems or the capability to transmit data wirelessly.

As Alice Gibbs explains in Newsweek, a July 22 letter from Duffy outlines several proposals that aim to "protect consumer choice," arguing that "Americans should retain the ability to purchase and operate traditional vehicles even as the auto industry develops more advanced autonomous-driving technologies."

According to Gibbs, "The administration is simultaneously calling for expanded testing programs for self-driving cars, the removal of federal deployment caps and new regulatory frameworks designed specifically for driverless vehicles," attempting to strike a balance between encouraging autonomous vehicle production and allowing people to continue buying cars without automated systems. 

Gibbs notes that the idea is still a legislative proposal, and Congress would have to incorporate the language into a transportation funding package for it to take effect.