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 The agency is looking at a list of rules that could affect the
rollout of features such as Tesla Motors Inc's "autopilot"
hands-free driving system or General Motors Co's proposed "super
cruise" system, NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind told reporters.
"We are trying to figure out if innovation will run up against
regulations," he said.
Rosekind said it is not clear where the lines are between federal
and state regulation of autonomous driving technology. But he said
NHTSA inevitably will have a role in overseeing the safety of
self-driving vehicles, and what standards should be applied to the
technology.
As an example, Rosekind asked "where's the standardization" for the
signals and alerts drivers get from robotic systems that are
watching for hazards around a car, or controlling its direction.
 "The first time a self-driving car hits somebody, and someone gets
hurt or is fatally injured, we're going to get the phone call," he
said.
Another area of uncertainty, Rosekind said, is what will happen as
automated cars and human-operated vehicles mix on the road for what
could be 20 or 30 years.
"We have a lot of catch-up to do," said Rosekind, who took over the
agency in December.
Fully autonomous vehicles are still years from being ready for
consumers to buy. But several automakers have said they intend to
offer systems that will allow vehicles to navigate in traffic jams
or in freeway driving even when the driver's hands are off the
steering wheel.
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Rosekind, speaking with reporters ahead of an appearance at a
conference on autonomous vehicle systems, also touched on topics
ranging from malfunctioning Takata Corp airbag inflators to the
agency's long-standing five-star safety rating system for new
vehicles.
On Takata, he said NHTSA testing has found that 70 to 80 percent of
its inflators that rupture, or explode, in laboratory testing come
from vehicles from Florida. Takata and NHTSA have said heat and
humidity elevate the risk that inflators could explode.
Rosekind also said NHTSA will propose by fall a "revolutionary
change" to the safety rating system that could include incentives to
encourage making automatic braking and other safety systems standard
equipment.
(Reporting By Joe White; Editing by Christian Plumb)
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