Nearly 37,000 Americans died on U.S. roads last year — but lawmakers are clashing over self-driving tech legislation that might help

Supporters say autonomous driving technology could eventually prevent thousands of crashes. But efforts to speed its rollout through federal legislation have run into resistance from trial lawyers, who argue the proposed rules don’t go far enough to protect consumers or hold manufacturers accountable when autonomous vehicles do happen to fail.

Can self-driving cars really make roads safer?

From automatic emergency braking to lane-centering and adaptive cruise control, cars are taking on more than ever before. Fully autonomous vehicles take that idea even further by allowing software to drive under certain conditions.

“Risky behaviors such as speeding, impaired driving, and distracted driving contribute to a large share of crashes, injuries, and deaths on our roadways,” David Kidd, VP of Vehicle Research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) told Moneywise. “Automated vehicles do not speed, drive under the influence, or get distracted, so they have the potential to substantially reduce crashes.”

Results from the institute’s recent research provides some early evidence that automated vehicles have real potential to cut crashes.

“Automated vehicles are beginning to crash less often than human drivers in some deployments, which is an encouraging sign,” he shared. “We found that Waymo automated vehicles were involved in 68% fewer crashes per mile traveled than human drivers in the limited areas and cities where they have been deployed.”

He also added, “they will not replace human-driven miles anytime soon.” But in the meantime, he believes that “we must continue making vehicles safer and aggressively use the proven tools available today to reduce speeding, impaired driving, distraction, and non-belt use.” These interventions, he said, “remain essential to saving lives now.”

What’s behind the debate over self-driving car rules?

The dispute isn’t about whether autonomous vehicles should exist, but how they should be regulated.

Lawmakers backing new federal legislation argue a single national framework would replace today’s patchwork of state rules, giving companies greater certainty to test and deploy self-driving vehicles while maintaining federal oversight.

Supporters, including the U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., argue that delaying legislation could slow the development of technology they believe has the potential to make roads safer over time.

Speaking during a hearing of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., argued that trial lawyers were largely responsible for the legislation stalling.

“It should be clear from the history of this process that Republicans and Democrats on this panel worked very hard with your organization to get sign off and support when we first moved this bill,” Walden said. “So you might imagine my disappointment when you all asked for more changes in the Senate, despite the deal we had here in the House with your organization.”

The American Association for Justice (AAJ), which represents trial lawyers, however, says the proposed legislation could weaken safety oversight, reduce transparency around autonomous vehicle crashes and limit the ability to hold manufacturers accountable if something goes wrong.

In a statement, the AAJ urged lawmakers to reject the proposal until stronger consumer protections are in place.