Findings

Congress finds that— (1) rapid advancements in autonomous vehicle technology present significant opportunities to improve transportation safety, efficiency, and mobility; (2) current Federal motor vehicle safety standards were not designed with fully autonomous vehicles in mind, creating certification challenges and slowing design and production of vehicles without drivers; (3) maintaining global leadership in autonomous vehicle technology will enhance the competitiveness of the United States, foster economic growth, and spur innovation across the domestic manufacturing sector; and (4) the most advanced automated driving systems have demonstrated safety records superior to human drivers in comparable situations, indicating that maintaining regulatory frameworks designed exclusively for human operators may delay lifesaving technological implementation.