Articles by David Shepardson

Alphabet to Test Self-Driving Cars in Snowy Michigan

Alphabet Inc.’s self-driving car unit Waymo is expanding winter testing as it works to address a potential blind spot for autonomous vehicles: snowy and icy conditions. Waymo said that Michigan is the sixth state where the self-driving car project will …

U.S. to Expand Testing of Drones

President Donald Trump launched a program on Wednesday to expand testing of drones to include flights over people, nighttime operations and flights out of sight of the operator, the White House said. The pilot program aims to speed up the …

GM to Pay States $120 Million to Settle Ignition Switch Claims

General Motors Co. has agreed to pay $120 million to resolve claims from 49 U.S. states and the District of Columbia over faulty ignition switches, state attorneys general and the company said on Thursday. The largest U.S. automaker had previously …

Waymo, Nonprofits Team Up for Safety Campaign on Self-Driving Cars

AAlphabet Inc.’s self-driving car unit Waymo and several groups are launching a campaign aimed at convincing skeptical Americans of what they say is the value and safety of driverless cars, as Congress considers how it will regulate the technology. The …

GM Says Driverless Cars Faultless in 6 Accidents in September

General Motors Co.’s self-driving unit, Cruise Automation, told California regulators its vehicles were involved in six crashes in the state in September, but said none of automated vehicles were responsible. The accidents did not result in any injuries or serious …

Trump Administration Seeks $29B in Hurricane Disaster Relief Funds

The Trump administration on Wednesday asked U.S. lawmakers to approve $29 billion in disaster relief funds to assist victims of recent hurricanes that hit Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. The aid request includes $12.8 billion in new funds to help …

U.S. Senate Panel Gives Green Light to Bill to Speed Use of Self-Driving Cars

A U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday unanimously gave the green light to a bill aimed at speeding the use of self-driving cars without human controls, a measure that also bars states from imposing regulatory road blocks. The bill still must …

Safety Groups Oppose Autonomous Driving Bill Backed by Car Makers

A coalition of auto safety advocates criticized a bill before the U.S. Congress that would allow automakers eventually to sell up to 100,000 self-driving vehicles annually if they could demonstrate they are as safe as current vehicles. The measure, the …

Key Committee Senators Reach Deal on Autonomous Vehicle Bill

Two U.S. senators said late on Wednesday that they had reached a bipartisan deal on legislation aimed at easing hurdles to getting self-driving cars to drivers. U.S. Senator John Thune, a Republican who chairs the Commerce Committee, and Senator Gary …

U.S. Safety Board Says Train Crash Engineers Had Undiagnosed Sleep Disorder

The engineers in two New York City area commuter train crashes suffered from sleep apnea that had not been diagnosed, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said on Thursday. The NTSB released factual findings on Thursday regarding its investigations into …