Articles by Ryan Beene

Trump Administration Revises Obama Self-Driving Vehicle Policy

The Trump administration will alter the course set by the Obama administration on autonomous vehicle policy after industry raised concerns about elements of that initial proposal. The revised guidance — to be unveiled Tuesday in Michigan by Transportation Secretary Elaine …

Regulators Under Pressure to Develop Rules of Road Minus Drivers

When the U.S. government finally got around to regulating auto safety in 1967, it insisted that every car have seat belts and that the steering column be engineered to absorb impact so it wouldn’t spear the driver. The safety rulebook …

At Labor’s Urging, House Bill to Speed Self-Driving Vehicles Exempts Trucks

Labor unions are urging a slowdown as lawmakers fast track legislation to allow self-driving vehicles on the road, a potential boon to some union jobs and an existential threat to others. The House Energy & Commerce committee last Thursday advanced …

U.S. Transportation Safety Board Calls for More Traffic Cameras

A U.S. safety watchdog called for broader use of traffic cameras to catch speeding drivers, as it said driving too fast is an under-reported cause of traffic fatalities. Inconsistent reporting by law enforcement causes the factor to go under-reported, according …

Blind Americans Want to Participate in Future of Driverless Vehicles

Anil Lewis was behind the wheel of his Ford Mustang convertible on a sunny Atlanta day in 1988, when he nearly hit a pedestrian who appeared in a crosswalk ahead of him, seemingly out of nowhere. It was then Lewis …

Safety Groups Urge Government to Set Rules of Road for Driverless Vehicles

Basic rules of the road are needed before lawmakers allow companies from Apple Inc. to Ford Motor Co. to dramatically expand testing of self-driving cars, safety and consumer advocates will tell lawmakers today. Automakers should be required to certify the …

Report Offers Details But No Finding of Cause of Tesla Crash

The Tesla Model S accident that last year sparked a debate about the car company’s partially autonomous driving tools resulted in a cloud of white dust as the sedan plowed underneath a tractor trailer, a witness told investigators. “Just a …

Driver Deaths Rose 6% in 2016, Topping 40,000

U.S. motor vehicle accident deaths last year topped 40,000 for the first time since 2007 as cheap gasoline and a healthy economy encouraged motorists to drive more, according to new estimates released by the National Safety Council. Roadside fatalities last …

Investigation Concludes Tesla Not at Fault in Self-Driving Car Crash

The push to bring self-driving cars to American roads got a significant boost on Thursday when the nation’s chief auto safety regulator essentially cleared Tesla Motors Inc.’s Autopilot system of fault in a fatal 2016 crash. The U.S. National Highway …

U.S. Charges Chrysler with Diesel Emissions Cheating

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV was accused of violating pollution laws with 104,000 diesel vehicles, sending the shares plunging on the prospect the automaker may follow Volkswagen AG in facing billions of dollars in fines. The Environmental Protection Agency alleged Fiat …