As the big Mercedes-Benz sedan roars down U.S. 101 south of San Francisco, it closes on an old pickup truck cruising along in its lane.
The driver flicks the turn signal for a pass, but then, unexpectedly, takes his hands off the wheel. The new sedan pauses for two seconds and then completes the maneuver on its own.
While it could be another five years or so until automakers roll out the first fully autonomous vehicles, they’re already beginning to introduce semi-autonomous features like the Auto Lane Change system on the new 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300, as well as Tesla’s new AutoPilot system.
Traditionally, the industry has taken a go-slow approach to technology, typically waiting for new government rules and regulations. But in an unusual turnabout, federal regulators are letting the auto industry take the lead.
That’s pushing carmakers like Mercedes into something of a “gray zone,” said Bart Herring, the general manager of product management for Mercedes-Benz USA. Federal regulators “don’t want to stand in the way and that’s very progressive, something that we as a manufacturer really appreciate.”
At the same time, said Herring, following a media drive of the new Mercedes E300, it can create some serious uncertainty for a manufacturer trying to figure out where to draw the line. The new German sedan is loaded with features like Auto Lane Change Assist and can be driven hands-free for up to about 30 seconds at a time. But Mercedes has, for now, decided not to add another system that would let a driver summon the sedan from a parking spot remotely, with no one behind the wheel.
“In some cases, we feel we may be pushing (too far),” the executive said.
Traditionally, federal regulators run an extremely tight ship when it comes to authorizing the use of new technology. Even changing the color of a warning light has, at times, required a year or more of study and some intense rulemaking. But federal regulators have become convinced that approach could actually hinder, rather than advance, highway safety.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “cannot move fast enough to regulate” all the new technologies that are being developed, “many of which aren’t necessarily breaking the rules simply because the regulations don’t exist,” said David Sullivan, a senior automotive analyst with consultancy AutoPacific, Inc.
Somewhat ironically, the shift in strategy is being led by Mark Rosekind, the NHTSA administrator who took over the agency in late 2014 amidst a series of major safety lapses by major manufacturers including General Motors, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler and Honda, as well as airbag supplier Takata.
The former head of the National Transportation Safety Board Rosekind decided to mimic the carrot-and-stick approach used in the aerospace world, cracking down on safety lapses while encouraging automakers to bring new technological breakthroughs to market if there was solid evidence they would work.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx gave the agency its marching orders during an appearance at the Detroit Auto Show last January, declaring, “Automated vehicles open up possibilities for saving lives, saving time and saving fuel.”
Read more of the original article in The Detroit Bureau.
