The federal government is about to make a big move that could help push the adoption of driverless cars.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is responsible for determining the safety ratings for new vehicles, said Tuesday that it plans to begin taking advanced safety technologies into account in its ratings assessment.
This means cars without some of the latest automated safety technologies, like automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning, will have a more difficult time getting a five-star rating.
It also means that automakers now have more of an incentive to adopt automated safety systems, which are a key component to ultimately making your car more autonomous.
NHTSA said consumers can expect to see ratings under the new system by the time 2019 models begin to arrive.
Many automakers, though, have already made plans to begin integrating advanced safety systems in their upcoming cars.
In September, a dozen top car makers — including BMW, Tesla, Ford, General Motors, and Volkswagen — pledged to make automatic emergency brakes a standard feature on future vehicles.
And a number of automakers have also already said they plan to roll out a semi-autonomous driving system in their more high-end vehicles by 2020.
While car companies may already be moving towards automated driving, the NHTSA’s move to overhaul its ratings system pushes the effort even further because it helps even the playing field.
Currently, many automakers are only including the most advanced safety features in their more expensive vehicles. However, the new assessment process will encourage car companies to begin putting these kinds of driverless safety technologies in more of their cars, thus helping drive down the overall cost of such systems.
As the technology becomes cheaper, these automated systems will become more standard and people will become more comfortable with the idea of the car taking control of the wheel. And ultimately, it may also help spur the development of cars that are completely autonomous.
