On behalf of the nation’s Governors, legislators, mayors, cities, counties, state transportation officials, state motor vehicle administrators, and highway safety officials, we urge Congress to ensure that any legislation being considered that contemplates laws governing autonomous vehicles respects and maintains the role of state, territorial, and local governments to ensure that proper safety measures are in place on roadways operated and maintained by our respective governments.
The regulation of motor vehicle safety, which includes the design, construction, and performance of a motor vehicle (in the traditional manner, as defined in Title 49 Sections 30102 and 30111) is, and should remain, a federal obligation. However, state, territorial, and local governments are the primary authorities concerning operational safety, including regulating the operation of motor vehicles after such vehicles have been constructed, the operators of those motor vehicles, as well as establishing the rules of the road on how motor vehicles can be safely operated on public roadways. It is critical that states and territories retain the unburdened authority to enforce federal and state traffic safety violations, to act…
