President Obama is Putting Billions Into Developing Self-Driving Cars

Tech News sElf

The United States government’s plans to spend nearly $4 billion on developing safety-oriented automatic vehicles within the next 10 years was announced yesterday afternoon at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The U.S. Department of transportation is looking to partner with tech-based manufactures and companies in order to develop pilot programs that will ensure that self-driving cars are safe. These programs will also help determine if America’s current infrastructure is ready for the technology. Americans will begin to see the plan’s effects within the first six months of 2016.

That includes the finalization of the “safe deployment and operation of autonomous vehicles” guidelines and the submission of “rule interpretation requests” which will monitor whether the technology aligns with the law.

During the announcement, Secretary Foxx also revealed an update to the policy guidance on self-driving automobiles, which will now illustrate how autonomous vehicles are a legitimate tool for creating safer transportation on the road. The policy was first developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration back in 2013.

“We are on the cusp of a new era in automotive technology with enormous potential to save lives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and transform mobility for the American people,” Jamie Foxx, secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation told Gizmodo. “Today’s actions and those we will pursue in the coming months will provide the foundation and the path forward for manufacturers, state officials, and consumers to use new technologies and achieve their full safety potential.”

The nearly $4 billion dollar plan will be included in 2017’s proposed federal budget.

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