Transportation Department Hits the Gas on Self-Driving Regulations

The Obama administration is set to unveil a policy framework Tuesday to govern the development of self-driving cars, including new ways for automakers to share information on emerging technology with the government, according to people familiar with the announcement.

The announcement has been eagerly anticipated by the tech industry and automakers hoping to get in on the anticipated revolution in transportation.

The U.S. Transportation Department’s guidance is expected to include recommendations for states looking to pass legislation on introducing self-driving cars safely on their highways, according to three people involved in their development who spoke on the condition they not be identified until the information is made public.

The guidelines are also expected to clarify how its current rules and regulations, which were formed in the 1960s, will be applied to emerging technology.

Companies that have invested in developing the vehicles, including Tesla Motors Inc., General Motors Co. and Google parent Alphabet Inc., have urged regulators to use a light touch in the guidelines, so as to not kill off innovation. At the same time, the industry says federal leadership is needed before dozens of states pass their own contradictory sets of laws.