House passes law to accelerate adoption of self-driving technology

Enlarge / Pilot models of the Uber self-driving car at the Uber Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (credit: ANGELO MERENDINO/AFP/Getty Images)

The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved legislation designed to streamline rules governing self-driving cars. The legislation passed unanimously in a voice vote.

In a highly polarized era, the debate over self-driving cars has been remarkable for its lack of ideological divisions. Self-driving technology is advancing rapidly in Detroit and Silicon Valley, and the sponsors of the House bill sought to ensure that legal barriers wouldn't slow down adoption of the technology. Insiders told Ars that there were few divisions between Democrats and Republicans working on the legislation.

In an e-mailed statement, Caleb Watney, an analyst at the R Street Institute, praised the bill, arguing that it will "help clear regulatory roadblocks to developing and deploying driverless cars, while still maintaining important tools to ensure public safety."

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