Autonomous car deployment accelerated

House Bill Would Limit State Authority

The U.S. House unanimously approved a proposal to speed the deployment of self-driving cars without human controls by putting federal regulators in charge and barring states from blocking autonomous vehicles, according to a Reuters report.

The measure, H.R. 3388 (called the Self Drive Act), is the first significant federal legislation intended to speed self-driving cars to market.

The bill would allow automakers to obtain exemptions to deploy as many as 25,000 vehicles without meeting existing auto safety standards in the first year. The cap would rise over three years to 100,000 vehicles annually.

Manufacturers seeking exemptions would have to demonstrate that self-driving cars are at least as safe as existing vehicles. States could still set rules on registration, licensing, liability, insurance and safety inspections, but not performance standards.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be in charge of regulating the industry’s traffic safety standards.

The bill now moves to the Senate, where it will be considered by the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Hunters sue to stop OHV project

130 Trail Miles At Risk

The Oregon Hunters Association has sued the U.S. Forest Service to halt a project that would provide more than 130 miles of OHV trails in the Ochoco National Forest.

The group claims the trails would harm elk habitat, that the Forest Service approval of the project is not backed by scientific research and that the decision violates the National Forest Management Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.

The trail project is the result of years of planning that included public comment. The additional trails would provide OHV enthusiasts access to federal lands for responsible recreation and discourage off-trail riding, the Forest Service said.

The Ochoco National Forest encompasses 850,000 acres and currently has two OHV trails, each of which is less than 20 miles long.

The Forest Service plans to proceed with the project while the lawsuit is pending.