Trump Administration Preparing to Rewrite the Rules for Self-Driving Cars

John D. Stoll reports on efforts at the U.S. Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Elaine Chao, to "coordinate a 'patchwork' of state rules attempting to govern a [automated vehicle] technology that is being developed so fast that the public can’t understand it."

"Ms. Chao, speaking to a safety conference Monday, said the Transportation Department is moving quickly to update voluntary guidelines for autonomous vehicles that were published last year by the Obama administration," according to Stoll. Secretary Chao says pressure is mounting on the federal government to do something about automated vehicles, as more "deep-pocketed companies" compete to make the technology a game-changing reality.

"For now, [the national Highway Safety Administration] is working on new voluntary guidelines that will 'overtake' the Obama administration’s blueprint," reports Stoll, but Secretary Chao "declined to discuss whether tougher regulation is needed" at the event.

[The Wall Street Journal article might be behind a paywall for some readers.]