U.S. Legislative News

NTSB Releases Report on Autonomous Vehicle that Killed Pedestrian

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report on the self-driving vehicle that struck and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona on March 18, 2018. The 2017 Volvo XC90, owned by Uber Technologies and occupied by an on-hand vehicle operator, was driving along a multi-lane road in computer control mode when it struck the woman who had entered the roadway from a median with her bicycle despite warning signs instructing pedestrians to use the crosswalk. A toxicology report performed on the woman after the accident tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana.

According to the report, Uber equipped the vehicle with radars, laser detection systems, navigation sensors, a computing and data storage unit, and forward- and side-facing cameras. The self-driving system first classified the woman as an unknown object, then as a vehicle, and then as a bicycle with varying expectations of future path travel. 1.3 seconds before impact the vehicle determined that emergency braking was necessary to prevent a collision.

Emergency braking is intentionally disabled by Uber while the vehicle is in computer control mode to prevent the vehicle from jerking when the cameras register potential problems ahead. According to the NTSB report, when emergency braking is necessary, Uber intends for the vehicle operator “to intervene and take action. The system is not designed to alert the operator.” The on-hand vehicle operator, is seen looking down several times before the crash and claims she was looking at elements of Uber’s self-driving system before impact.

NTSB notes that “all aspects of the crash remain under investigation… with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar crashes.” The NTSB is working with the Arizona Department of Transportation, Volvo Cars, and Uber to gather a complete and accurate account of the crash.

Trump Threatens to Impose New Tariffs on Imported Automobiles and Auto Parts

On May 24, President Trump instructed Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to launch a Section 232 investigation into the threats posed by imported automobiles and auto parts on national security. The Section 232 investigation, previously used to impose tariffs on aluminum and steel, sets up an avenue for Trump to slap tariffs on auto imports.

Under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the Secretary of Commerce may initiate an investigation into the effects imports have on the national security. Following the conclusion of the report, the president can agree or disagree with the Secretary’s recommendations and take actions to “adjust the imports of an article and its derivatives.”

Some analysts believe Trump could be using the threat as leverage to renegotiate NAFTA, but the President has often called for a return of manufacturing jobs to the U.S. According to reports, if auto tariffs are imposed, Americans could see the cost of a new car rise by as much as 25 percent. Last year, 44 percent of cars, trucks, and SUVs sold in the U.S were imported. Popular U.S. companies like GM’s Chevrolet manufacture many of their vehicles in Canada and Mexico, but even Chevrolet’s U.S. manufactured vehicles still rely heavily on imported car parts.

The move has sparked backlash from the auto industry, Republicans, Democrats, and trading partners. Ann Wilson, vice president of government affairs at Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, said if the tariffs went into effect, “it would upend the supplier industry.” Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) called the investigation “deeply misguided” and said the tariffs would directly hit American families. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce blasted the idea and warned that new tariffs “threaten to ignite a global trade war.”

Legislation Would Expand the Use of Vehicles Fueled by Natural Gas

On May 24, Representatives Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and John Larson (D-Conn.) introduced legislation promote national security and jobs through the use of natural gas to fuel heavy-duty trucks and fleet vehicles. H.R. 5959, the Natural Gas Parity Act of 2018, would incentivize the use of natural gas-fueled vehicles by extending the expired Alternative Fuels Tax Credit of fifty-cents-per-gallon through 2022, partially excluding taxes imposed on heavy-duty natural gas vehicle purchases, and supporting the transition of federal fleets to alternative fuels like natural gas.

In a statement, Congressman Larson said, “the Natural Gas Parity Act of 2018 will incentivize the use of clean, affordable, and American energy technology in the transportation sector. The United States has an abundance of energy resources and this bill will reduce our dependence on foreign imports by spurring the adoption of cleaner, domestic vehicles that run on natural gas. This will reduce pollution, spur investment in alternative fuel sources, and bolster our national security by enhancing energy independence. I am pleased to work with Congressman Markwayne Mullin on this common-sense, bipartisan bill.”

To learn more about the Natural Gas Parity Act of 2018, please click here.