In a May 2017 interview with Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao overstated the current state of autonomous vehicle technology.
She told Bartiromo that the country already has Level 2 self-driving cars capable of driving on the highway and following lane markings, adding that there’s really no need for anyone to be seated and controlling the instruments.
Level 2 automation
That description doesn’t match how regulators define Level 2 automation. The Level 2 systems Chao referenced are only partially autonomous and require constant human oversight, not just hands near the controls but an attentive driver ready to take over. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agency Chao’s own department oversees, adopted the SAE’s automation levels back in 2013.
Confusion
Chao compounded the confusion later in the interview by suggesting that Level 2 vehicles were likely safer than Level 4 or 5 systems, even though no production Level 4 or 5 vehicle existed at the time.
Industry observers pushed back on that claim; as one analyst noted, few in the field argue that partial autonomy is safer than full autonomy, and a “human in the loop” can actually introduce more risk since drivers relying on autopilot features aren’t always mentally ready to intervene on short notice.
The Drive
The remarks drew attention in part because of Chao’s role overseeing the very agency responsible for regulating autonomous vehicle standards, at a moment when companies including Tesla, GM, Ford, and Waymo were racing to bring partially and fully automated systems to market.