Feds Tweak Driverless-Car Guidelines, Seek To Balance Safety And Tech Development
Driverless cars and trucks will be hitting the highways in increasing numbers over the next few years.
The U.S. Department of Transportation doesn’t want to get in the way. That’s the message in a new set of guidelines the department released Wednesday. The intent is to spur further development while emphasizing safety, the department said.
“Safety is always No. 1 at the U.S. Department of Transportation,” department Secretary Elaine Chao said in a short speech at CES, the big consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, where the new guidelines were announced. But “remaining technology neutral” is a department commitment and “protecting American innovation and creativity” is another top priority.
Read the article at Los Angeles Times.
AFLA Canada-USA Fleet Summit Happening in February 2020
AFLA has announced a Canada-USA Fleet Summit that’s happening in Toronto in February. This event will be a forum for idea sharing, and for understanding the differences and similarities that fleets face in Canada and the U.S.
Bumps on the Road to Transformation
If like FMW your business is international in scope, consider attending the 2020 International Fleet Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. It takes place on March 4, 2020 on the second media day of the Geneva International Motor Show. “Transforming from Fleet to Mobility” is the topic of the keynote speech. The venue is stunning and the networking superb.
Now, about the mobility revolution -- Deloitte has published an eye-opening report on American consumers’ feelings about autonomous vehicles, EVs and the infrastructure required to support self-driving technology.
Just as we’re digesting some unsettling findings from that report, we learn from cybersecurity firm Upstream Security that the hacking of connected vehicles has soared. A disconcerting statistic from the report: 82 percent of the attacks were conducted remotely! Meanwhile, Tesla is challenging hackers to crack its cars – with $1 million on the line!
Drive safety,
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
15 Predictions for 2020 for UK Fleets
Natalie Middleton asks some of the UK’s major fleet suppliers for their outlook on the coming 12 months
Cross-currents are whipping the United Kingdom's fleet industry, from the uncertain effects of Brexit to changes in taxes, a projected shortfall in supply to meet rising demand for electric vehicles, the potential for an accelerating shift away from company vehicles and long-term leases in favor of retail customized mobility solutions, and the spread of more city restrictions on fossil fuel vehicles.
Fifteen industry insiders share their views on why 2020 is shaping up to be an unprecedentedly turbulent year for UK fleets.
Read the article in Fleet World
Newer Cars Are Safer Cars
Thanks to advanced engineering, in-depth research and analysis of crash data, newer vehicles are built better and have more safety features to protect you.
Most standard equipment in cars today wasn’t even an option decades ago. Depending on your age, you may remember when cars didn’t have seat belts, or when the belt just went over your lap.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, celebrating its 50th year in 2020, has been involved in vehicle safety improvements for decades. The New Car Assessment Program, NCAP, was expanded in 1993 to include the 5-Star Safety Ratings system. Here’s a look at some overall vehicle safety improvements that have made cars safer over the decades.
Read the article at NHTSA.
