Lawmakers and industry stakeholders voiced growing concern over the lack of federal regulation for autonomous vehicle (AV) and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) technologies during a June 26 hearing before the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
The hearing, titled “Looking Under the Hood: The State of NHTSA and Motor Vehicle Safety,” highlighted bipartisan frustration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) pace in developing a regulatory framework to oversee autonomous technologies.
While some legislators pointed to NHTSA’s inaction, others acknowledged that Congress itself has yet to pass comprehensive AV legislation, limiting the agency’s authority. “One commonality of all the panelists’ testimony is that we have all called upon NHTSA to do more work,” one witness noted.
Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, challenged the narrative that AVs are inherently safer. “AVs also may cause crashes that sober, alert and engaged drivers would routinely avoid,” she said. “AVs, which are essentially billion dollar pieces of equipment with years of research, should not drive better than only the worst drivers on our roads.”
The Automotive Service Association (ASA), which represents collision and mechanical repair facilities nationwide, praised lawmakers for prioritizing concerns around AV safety and vehicle data access. ASA has consistently urged NHTSA to implement rules ensuring proper calibration of ADAS sensors, components critical to vehicle safety that can be disrupted by normal wear or minor impacts.
“ADAS and AVs can improve vehicle safety if the sensors that underpin the technology work properly throughout the vehicle’s road life,” said ASA Board President Scott Benavidez. “These sensors can become miscalibrated from normal wear and tear or even a bump from a shopping cart.”
U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-TN, proposed developing a standardized way for vehicle owners to verify their ADAS systems are functioning correctly. She also pressed John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, on whether automakers share necessary diagnostic information with independent repairers. Bozzella stated, “The manufacturers provide all of the data necessary to everyone, to both dealers and independent repair shops.”
U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, R-FL, also emphasized the importance of repair data access, referencing his reintroduction of the REPAIR Act and recent revisions based on industry feedback.
ASA pledged ongoing collaboration with Congress on these issues. “ASA will continue educating and partnering with members of this committee to advance vehicle safety and the policy interests of independent automotive repairers,” the association said in a news release.
ASA represents independent repair shops across all 50 states and advocates for industry-wide access to vehicle data, safety standards and consumer trust.
