In a Law360 article discussing "Product Liability Regulation and Legislation to Watch in 2017," Detroit Managing Partner Thomas Branigan commented on recent NHTSA action surrounding self-driving cars and what to expect entering the new year.
Last year, NHTSA released three documents surrounding best practices, policies and proposed rulemaking in regards to vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology, automated vehicles and cybersecurity for modern vehicles. All signs point to future regulation by NHTSA rulemaking and allude to the potential liabilities OEMs will face.
“Given the guidance, I’m expecting heavy activity from NHTSA on those issues in 2017,” Tom said to Law360. He also commented on new legislation seeking to open Michigan up to wider use of automated technology.
“There’s no question that the new laws in Michigan support the operation of auto vehicles in a way that’s not just limited to testing … but used in vehicle hailing-type system or a taxi-like system,” said Tom.
For more information, read our previous reports on NHTSA's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on (V2V) communication technology, Federal Automated Vehicles Policy, and Cybersecurity Best Practices for Modern Vehicles.