Maryland committee hears bill to authorize fully autonomous vehicles, supporters cite accessibility and safety; critics urge stronger federal oversight

Delegate Natalie Ziegler introduced House Bill 12-56 on the authorization and regulation of fully autonomous vehicles in Maryland, asking the committee to allow companies and state regulators to create standards for driverless operation on public roads. "We have amendments," Ziegler said, "including giving MVA the ability to decide that a particular vehicle is unsafe and remove it from the roads."

Proponents described autonomous vehicles as a tool to reduce crashes caused by human error and to expand mobility for people who cannot drive. Matt Walsh, head of government affairs for Waymo in the Eastern U.S., said Waymo’s vehicles have driven more than 33 million fully driverless miles and that in markets where they operate the company sees fewer crashes involving airbags, injuries and police-reported collisions. "The Waymo driver is now averaging more than 1,000,000 miles of fully autonomous driving per week," Walsh said. Jeff Farah of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association said AVs could reduce the toll of human-driver errors that contribute to tens of thousands of U.S. traffic deaths each year.

Disability advocates made accessibility the central…