President Barack Obama wants to get robot cars – autonomous vehicles that drive themselves – on the road more quickly. And he’s willing to spend a fortune in taxpayer money to do it.
Obama’s newest proposal would provide nearly $4 billion to automakers and researchers for programs to test driverless vehicles.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the plan Thursday, surrounded by representatives from General Motors and Ford as well as Google and Tesla. Foxx said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will spend the next six months developing guidance for automakers on what’s expected of self-driving prototype cars and what sort of tests should be used to make sure they are safe.
The agency also will develop a model policy for states to follow if they decide to allow autonomous cars on public roads. That policy could eventually lead to consistent national regulations for autonomous cars. Right now, individual states like California, Florida and Nevada have their own regulations.
Foxx didn’t predict when autonomous cars will be on public roads in big numbers, but he encouraged automakers to come to the government with ideas about how to speed their development.
He even encouraged automakers to ask for exemptions of its rules as long as they don’t impact safety.
“In 2016, we are going to do everything we can to promote safe, smart and sustainable vehicles. We are bullish on automated vehicles,” Foxx said during an appearance at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Safety advocates wondered if the agency is getting too cozy with the auto industry when it comes to technology regulations.
“While it is important for DOT to be knowledgeable about new technologies, primarily ones as dramatic as self-driving vehicles, DOT should independently develop data and information, not rely mostly on the regulated industry to call the shots,” said former NHTSA Administrator Joan Claybrook.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
We’ve had leaderless and aimless leadership for 7 years. Why not a driverless car?
Yea Really, well ole barry wants to WASTE even MORE of OUR $$$$ on his STUPID MINDLESS CAUSES, like his GLOBAL WARMING CRAP, to take his Obamabot Idiots attn off of all the MESSES he has made!!!!!
Tell your Grandchildren that Global Warming is “Crap”.
My grandchildren already know it’s crap! In the last 17 years the temp. of the planet has gone down 1.07 degrees and you call that Global Warming? Come on now you can’t all be idiots that listen to the AL Gores and Obumbler’s of the world! It’s a 22 billion dollar a year scam!
I listen to the 97% of Scientists who say it is real and that Humans are causing it. Oh I know…. they just say that to get funding right??? Wow. You are brainwashed by the ultraconservative think tanks that have no evidence to deny it.
You are correct
yep
His ass has been taxied all over, why start driving now, In reality he probably doesn’t have a license, An American one that is and camels aren’t allowed on our Highways
I love this. And he is camel dung
Isn’t it wonderful that we have a government that is watching out for our future and donating all those $ to the private companies to do it???? Our nation is flowing in cash, our veterans are well cared for, the lazy are fed, housed, and utilities taken care of. cough, cough, our roads, bridges, parks, and military is in excellent condition. Aren’t we blessed??? (sarcasm)
Hey Gene I think you forgot the seniors on SS. And no raises. They get plenty. And to hear them say they can’t live on $174.00 a year and they need a raise. I wish they could try living on my$650 a month. Barry couldn’t get his one $700hair cut a month.Obviously for a man who hates WHITES his mother never got to teach him that charity begins at home. And $4 to help push driverless cars. I wouldn’t get in one for love nor money. Talk about road rage how much do you think these cars would produce. Sick Sick
Yes, the government robbed the taxpayer’s social security fund! If they had invested it in a safe fund, we would have been able to live very, very comfortably….They are CROOKS!
They never get enough of our money……Make America Great Again….TRUMP 2016!!
nice,but the truth,LOL
True
we know that useless Obum a is a total failure , he is a citizen of Africa and should be deported to Africa ,he is a Traitor to America and should be shot for Treason ,the Idiots who voted for him should be shipped back with him ,
just wait ,the Idiots will declare a National Holiday for useless Traitor Obum a after he leaves office ,GOD help us and save us from those IDIOTS !!!!
put obuma in one and test drive it into a wall ,and see how safe it is ,
Driverless cars are a good idea. Prevent drunk drivers. People who can’t drive safely will be able to go places. Less need to have people on Social Security because a person can’t drive to work or be discriminated because they choose to be law abiding and not get a driver’s license. State ID cars work for taxes. Employers need to realize disabled people are competent and can do a lot of things. Not everyone with out a license is irresponcibal.
So correct I smell another bailout for Big auto
The president let the city of Detroit go bankrupt without a nod to save the city’s retired employees. We were forced to give up a portion of our pensions to save the City, while the president avoided the entire issue.
While our ROADS AND BRIDGES are is dire need of repairs and replacements.
NO MONEY to help the VA Hospitals.
SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE on the brink of bankruptcy.
UNDER FUNDED Government Pension Plans.
AND ……………Obama will spent $4 billion on driverless cars………………PLUS, Hillary will no doubt-it !!
Let us all thank our Democratic Friends for their voting history !!
Chet
If we ditch controvertial money like funding Planned Parenthood we would have money for real needs. Make their supporters pay instead of requiring prolifers taxes to go into their coffers. Same with anti gun people.
Stupid idea for now. Pay down the debt or put this money to use on securing our borders.
Offer my skills to Test drive Gen 1 driverless car models for So CA area.
Im ready.
But if Obama wants driverless cars
CUT DOT regulations that impede & work with makers for Regs that make sense IE Safety wise, for production.
Use the markets & incentives for driverless cars or lose to another boondoggle.
I’m all for cutting funds to federal control. This administration disrespects STATES RIGHTS. BEN CARSON HAS A FLAT TAX IDEA. AMONGST OTHER SMART PROPOSALS. GO CARSON!
Ojugears is simply following his NWO directives to SPEND! SPEND! SPEND! in order to financially break the country. I think this is part of his and Michael Robinson’s reasons for all the vacations (dog on a separate plane?). I’m sure he was told by his Bilderberg buddies that if you can have lots of fun breaking America, so much the better.
In seven years Odumbo has spent seventy million of our tax dollars on his vacations. An average of 10 mil. a year.
Everything he does involves tons of our money. Why these idiots think we elected them so they can spend our money to live like kings is beyond my imagination.
because everyone who voted for Dumbo Obuma is a total Idiot and should be send to Kenia with him where he was born ,then we would have no Idiots left to make excuses for him ,
OUR GOVERNMENT IS ALREADY BLOATED ENOUGH. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, MOST GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE ENOUGH SLACK TO MANAGE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS. THE AUTO INDUSTRY WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS, SO, WHY NOT LET THE AUTO INDUSTRY PAY FOR IT. LET DOT MANAGE THE PROGRAM WITH ITS EXISTING MANPOWER AND LET THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY PAY FOR IT. IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT GOVERNMENT IS NOT A GOOD MANAGER. REMEMBER THE ELECTRIC CAR! AGM
Don’t forget the multi-billion dollar solar company fiasco bankruptcy. Obama orchestrated that as well.
OMG, put a stop to this!! So many other things we need to address, Social Security, the Vets, our borders, roads, bridges ISIS, Can we please STOP THIS SPENDING!!!!!!
Well what the hell else is new with this ass hole. He doesn’t have a correct social security card, as he has never lived in Connecticut ! Oh that’s right he wasn’t even born here much less have any correct ID’s. He will need a car tat drives him as he is going to loose the beast to drive him around. He is a total ass hole and should have been impeached 5 years ago. He has no intentions of using any money for good things as he only wants to destroy this country, and we have not seen anything yet. Hold your asses as it is going to be a very ruff ride. Good by to the America we have known and loved.
Our government is broke. Our nation’s debt has doubled during the Obama years. We don’t need to spend billions of dollars on driverless cars. President Obama’s grandchildren and great grandchildren (all yet to be born) will be paying the tab on the irresponsible spending that this man has done.
We have had a brainless idiot in charge of the country for 7 years, why not driverless cars?
The roads are not fit for cars with drivers let alone driverless cars. Why not fix the roads with the federal governments money and secure the boarders before there are driverless cars and illegals trying to break into them? Why do we need driverless cars anyway? Has anyone asked what good they will do or what they can be used for? What happens when they get where they are going? Does anyone have a perfect GPS? How will a driverless car pay for gas? What happens when they run out of fuel whatever it is? Will they be all over the roads? It is obvious to me that Obama wants this country totally BROKE!
A person totally and utterly clueless on the concept!
This country is already totally broke. We are now living on virtual money that the government can wipe out at any time. We need Trump now.
People who own them pay for the gas. Or were you going to start paying for gas in my car?
If you have a car thant runs on Ethanol, and it has a crahs who gets charged with DUI.
He gets worst daily. Everything he does this year will be gone next year.
And good old Horn News and all it’s brilliant followers will still be around!
James L. Powell, a former member of the National Science Board and current executive director of the National Physical Science Consortium, analyzed published research on global warming and climate change between 1991 and 2012 and found that of the 13,950 articles in peer-reviewed journals, only 24 rejected anthropogenic global warming.[32] This was a follow-up to an analysis looking at 2,258 peer-reviewed articles published between November 2012 and December 2013 revealed that only one of the 9,136 authors rejected anthropogenic global warming.[33]
R
Why is there always money available for stuff like these and for American priorities like for Veterans, SS, free college, etc… not? I surely could use a tiny fragment of that 4 billion to help my little business prosper right now.
I wonder how much ot this 4 billion will find its way into the Obama foundation I saw mentioned in an article a few days ago.
It should benefit us all payment to national debt.
business should take care of business not the government. that is why we have entreprenuers
Our economy is in the TANK @ 18 trillion dollars and Obozo wants to SPEND BILLIONS more for something the auto makers should be doing themselves without government assistance.
How can we STAND by and just LET this SPENDING addict pRESIDENT of America continue to SPEND and SPEND with NO real resistance from our do NOTHING congress people.
Driverless cars are the future. Technophobes have difficulty accepting new technology as they usually cannot understand it. This is great news.
People voted for him for all the wrong reasons. I can’t figure out how a second term was merited. The people who voted for him are now his biggest critic. Anyone who follows him into office is going to have their job cut out for them. Lets just hope the people get it right this time.\
“Foxx didn’t predict when autonomous cars will be on public roads in big numbers, but he encouraged automakers to come to the government with ideas about how to speed their development.”
COME TO THE GOVERNMENT…..HELL NO….
What about those of us who LIKE to drive?? I’d rather have a robot to take out the garbage,run errands, go to work for me, so I can stay at home with the family!
Driverless cars are synonymous with further social control: should they ever be introduced, the government will be able to know where one is going, and restrict the routes one may take.
My own preference is for beautifully restored classic cars, and I shall always drive them in spite of what the piece of dirt in the White House may think.
Obama is a manipulator plain and simple. He diverts your attention to one thing and does something that is more destructive. Barry is just doing what he’s told by his bosses.
This is what happens when you have all the Disney characters running our country. They don’t care about anything or anyone but themselves.
Well, we’ve had a LEADER LESS Country for (8) years, now the “so called, wanta be leader” is approving driverless cars, do you see the connection, I do. something else that has no one in charge, sorry, pure and simple, just another give away of NOT his MONEY. As, if these companies, really need [our] tax monies. This is just another slap in the face by this person, who has shown his disdain for this country, a country that he has USED for his benefit since he was introduced to a man named [Frank Marshall Davis] an man who was on the FBI’s “watch list”, and carried a Communist Party Card with the number #47544.
As we look at what has taken place in the past (8) yrs, we have not really moved forward, under this persons presence, {not leadership}, that’s something that this country has lacked for these (8) yrs.[LEADERSHIP]