Majority Statement

• Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

  Chairman

  U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
  Read statement

  Majority Statement

  Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

  Prepared Opening Statement – Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman

  “The Road Ahead: Advanced Vehicle Technology and Its Implications”

  Wednesday, May 15, 2013 2:30 p.m.

  The story of modern America would be difficult to tell without the automobile.  Ever since the Model T first rolled off the assembly line, the car and its driver have shaped our history, our lives, and our imagination.  It was the automobile, after all, that brought forth Detroit’s rise and the “golden age” of manufacturing.  It gave Americans a newfound sense of independence and freedom.  It changed, quite literally, our country’s landscape.  The car has been a defining ingredient in modern American culture.

  The automobile has also been central to the story of America’s innovation in public safety standards.  Seatbelts, brake lights, and airbags have saved innumerable lives that were once needlessly lost.  Today, the cars on our roads are safer than ever, but we still have a long way to go.  More than 30,000 lives are lost each year on America’s roads and highways – most from crashes caused by driver error.  Automakers, regulators, and researchers must continue their pursuit of safer vehicles and fewer fatalities, especially at the hands of driver distraction, impairment, or poor judgment.  In recent years, we have seen advances in vehicle technology that show great potential – not only to save the lives of many more but also to revolutionize how we have come to understand the relationship between the driver and his car.

  Driver-assist technology has already found its way into some of today’s cars.  Electronic stability control, for example, prevents rollover accidents and is now installed in all new cars, saving hundreds of lives per year.  The latest sensors, cameras, and software are doing even more to assist drivers.  They can warn the person behind the wheel of an imminent crash.  If the driver doesn’t respond, the car will stop itself.  They can warn drivers if the vehicle is drifting into another lane, and can even automatically bring the car back to its proper place.  Another system knows when the driver’s eyes wander off the road, and can alert him back to the task at hand.

  The power of technology is already saving lives.  But looking ahead a bit farther down the road, the car’s future is even more incredible.  Advanced technologies currently under research and development could radically challenge our notion of what it means to be behind the wheel.  One of these technologies enables vehicles to communicate with each other and with the road, warning drivers of dangers ahead that they have no way to see.  Another technology, of course, is one all of us have heard about – the self-driving car that could take you safely from point A to point B with no human involvement.

  There is much to be excited about as these technologies further develop.  They show potential to decrease the number of tragedies on our roads in the coming decades.  But there are risks, as well as important questions we must consider today to pave the way for tomorrow.  One growing technology raises concerns for me.  Automakers seem to be engaged in a race of sorts to see who can add more entertainment and communications devices and features onto the car’s dashboard – all in the name of allowing drivers to remain “connected.”  I am not convinced so many of these devices are necessary, and I fear they serve only to further distract drivers. 

  Even those technologies with great potential safety benefits come with their risks.  As our cars become more computerized and electronics-based, can the industry make sure they are reliable and prevent failures?  And as our cars become more connected – to the Internet, to wireless networks, with each other, and with our infrastructure – are they at risk of catastrophic cyberattacks?  And if driverless cars become reality on our roads, just who exactly is responsible for the accidents that may occur?

  We have seen so much change in the automobile and at such a rapid clip.  It is exciting and promising, but it requires a safety regulator that is attentive, knowledgeable, and conducts vigorous oversight.  This hearing will provide us an overview of what the future holds for our cars.  It will give us a foundation for future legislation and for future industry oversight as we move forward.  If they deliver as promised, the technologies we are discussing today have the potential to revolutionize transportation and bring about dramatic improvements in safety.  

  ###

Minority Statement

• Senator John R Thune

  Ranking Member

  U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
  Read statement

  Minority Statement

  Senator John R Thune

  Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing as the committee examines a variety of advanced motor vehicle technologies that are now emerging in the marketplace and working their way through the product development pipeline.

  These technologies, which include driver-assistance systems, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and autonomous “self-drive” cars, offer the promise of many future benefits. Advanced driver assistance technologies, such as adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, and lane-keeping systems, appear to offer obvious safety benefits. In addition, these technologies – many of which are being developed domestically – represent innovations that will help to drive the tech and manufacturing sectors and benefit our economy. 

  It is very welcome news to hear the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report that traveling by vehicle has become safer in recent years. According to the agency, fatality and injury rates reached new lows in 2009, compared to 10 years ago. I hope we will continue to improve in this area, and am encouraged by new technologies that offer the promise of an even safer driving experience.

  One such advancement is the Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation Systems program, better known as ITS. In 1999, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated spectrum in the 5.9 gigahertz band, so that vehicles can someday communicate wirelessly with each other and with their surroundings. This “connected vehicles” technology holds tremendous potential to make driving much, much safer.                   

  Last year, Congress directed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to study whether wireless Wi-Fi devices could share the same 5.9 gigahertz spectrum band as the ITS technology. Expanding Wi-Fi use in the 5 gigahertz range is becoming more important as other Wi-Fi bands have become extremely congested. Advocates of connected vehicles, however, have raised concerns that Wi-Fi use in the 5.9 band will interfere with ITS, which could, in turn, endanger drivers.

  While some people have characterized this as two technologies pitted against each other, I instead choose to see this as an opportunity. Connected vehicle technology and increased Wi-Fi bandwidth will each have significant benefits for the public. Obviously, the best possible public policy outcome is if the engineers can find a way for both technologies to co-exist in the 5.9 gigahertz band. The NTIA and the FCC are currently examining whether such spectrum sharing can be accomplished, and we should avoid letting heated rhetoric color this debate while we await the findings of the technical experts.

  Americans have long marveled at the notion of an autonomous vehicle – a car that can drive itself. Anyone who has seen the YouTube video of Steve Mahan, a blind man, using Google’s Self-driving car to perform his daily errands around the suburbs of Morgan Hill, California, knows how potentially life-changing these technologies may be. These self-driving cars offer a glimpse into the future. Mr. Chairman, maybe our next hearing on this subject should take place at a test track, so we can more directly explore the vehicle technology of Google and others, which undoubtedly will build upon today’s discussion.

  I am pleased that we are joined today by the NHTSA Administrator Strickland. As the federal agency within the Department of Transportation responsible for highway traffic safety and motor vehicle safety standards, NHTSA must partner with industry to make the high-tech cars of the future a reality. In the NHTSA Reauthorization passed last year as part of MAP-21, Congress directed NHTSA to establish a new Council for Electronics and Emerging Technologies to improve the agency’s expertise in the areas being discussed at today’s hearing. I am particularly interested to learn more about the NHTSA’s plan for tackling its mission to ensure safety, while also ensuring that innovation is not stifled. 

  The potential benefits of these advanced motor vehicle technologies are remarkable. They should enable advanced safety features, new information services, greater energy efficiency, and reduced insurance risks, and provide a growing market in our economy. 

  However, with these advancements Congress, regulators, industry, and other stakeholders must grapple with the forward-looking questions that will shape the motor vehicle technology landscape in the coming years:

  • What changes to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, if any, are necessary to ensure that automobile manufactures can safely adopt new technologies and bring them to market?

  • Do the motor vehicle technologies currently in the pipeline present other risks that we should be aware of, including driver distraction, cyber security and privacy risks?

  • And how are product developers working to identify these risks in order to engineer mitigating solutions?

  • Does NHTSA have the necessary expertise in order to perform properly its mission in this area? 

  I know the Committee looks forward to hearing from the witnesses on these issues. Thank you for being here today and for your testimony. 

   

Testimony

• The Honorable David Strickland

  Administrator

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  Download Testimony (178.38 KB)

Witness Panel 2

• Mr. Mitch Bainwol

  President and CEO

  Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
  Download Testimony (90.84 KB)

• Dr. Peter Sweatman

  Director

  University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
  Download Testimony (113.85 KB)

• Dr. John D. Lee

  Emerson Electric Quality & Productivity Professor

  University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Download Testimony (66.16 KB)

• Mr. Jeffrey J. Owens

  Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer

  Delphi Automotive
  Download Testimony (250.25 KB)