With the introduction of autonomous vehicles, automation is poised to become a much larger part of our transportation environment. As a result, NSPE has been working on multiple fronts to promote and protect the public health, safety, and welfare in the development and deployment of autonomous vehicle technologies. To promote public safety for all who interact with autonomous vehicles, NSPE has adopted a policy guide providing public policy decision-makers, regulators, manufacturers, and others with guidelines to measure the safety readiness of autonomous vehicles under consideration for deployment.
Much of the discussion to date has addressed the technology, its capabilities, and the perceived public benefits. However, many questions remain unanswered by industry, which has led to uncertainty within the public regulatory environment. To address this uncertainty, NSPE proposes these outcome-based standards as a starting point for adopting requirements that protect public safety.