Major automakers and industry groups are urging U.S. lawmakers and regulators to act more quickly to remove barriers to deploying autonomous vehicles (AVs) without human controls, citing growing international competition and stalled domestic policy.
At a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on Thursday, auto executives and trade group leaders voiced frustration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Congress, which they say have not kept pace with advances in driverless technology or global competitors.
“The auto industry wants, it needs a functioning and effective auto safety regulator. We don’t have that today,” said John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. “The agency isn’t nimble. Rulemakings take too long, if they come at all.”
While autonomous testing programs by companies such as Waymo and Cruise have expanded in recent years, legislative efforts to create a nationwide framework for AV deployment have remained stalled. Automakers are currently limited to seeking exemptions for just 2,500 vehicles annually without steering wheels, pedals, or other human controls—far below what industry leaders say is necessary for scaled testing and development.
Jeff Farrah, Executive Director of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, warned that the U.S. risks falling behind in the race to develop AVs, especially as China accelerates its investments in the sector. “Right now we are fighting with one hand tied behind our back,” Farrah told lawmakers.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in April that a new policy framework was in development to support domestic AV growth and competitiveness. Earlier this month, NHTSA also said it would speed up the review of petitions from automakers seeking exemptions from conventional vehicle safety requirements.
However, some lawmakers voiced concerns over NHTSA’s ability to meet its obligations. Representative Frank Pallone, a Democrat from New Jersey, cited reports suggesting that the agency has lost up to 35% of its expert staff through departures and layoffs. “That puts the ability of the agency to function at risk,” Pallone said.
In a statement, NHTSA disputed those figures, saying “significantly fewer people have left” and that the agency remains “staffed to continue to conduct all safety- and mission-critical work.” It also said it is expanding its Office of Autonomous Safety.
Despite recent reductions, U.S. traffic fatalities remain elevated. Road deaths fell 3.8% in 2024 to 39,345, but that remains above the pre-pandemic level of 36,355 in 2019 and is still twice the average rate seen in other high-income nations.
“NHTSA is failing to meet the moment,” said David Harkey, President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “In recent years, it has approached its job with a lack of urgency, using flawed methodologies that underestimate the safety benefits of obviously beneficial interventions.”
Harkey and others criticized NHTSA’s history of missing deadlines for rulemaking and noted the agency has often operated for extended periods without a Senate-confirmed administrator.