Republicans Discuss Open Roads for Testing of Self-driving Cars

A committee in the U.S. House debated a total of 14 bills Tuesday that Republican lawmakers believe might someday clear the roads for more driverless vehicles.

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A committee in the U.S. House debated a total of 14 bills Tuesday that Republican lawmakers believe might someday clear the roads for more driverless vehicles. Lawmakers believe their early efforts are a boon for safety, not to mention U.S. business.

 “We lose 30,000 to 40,000 people a year in highway fatalities,” Congressman Greg Walden explained, adding: “What can we do to set standards that will make sure that innovation is taking place in the United States?”

Chief among Republicans’ offerings is a bill that would permit the likes of Google and Uber to test their self-driving cars around the country, scrapping a current system in which states from New York to California have pitched varying, if conflicting, rules on how and where autonomous vehicles can operate. The idea is sure to satisfy the tech and auto industries, which have lobbied extensively in Washington, D.C., to push the policy boundaries for self-driving cars.

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