Trump Transportation Plan Would Protect Right to Drive Nonconnected, Human-Controlled Cars

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is asking Congress to prevent governments from requiring vehicles on public roads to use autonomous-driving systems or wireless data technology while the administration separately works to expand driverless vehicle development.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Americans would retain the legal right to own and operate conventional vehicles without automated-driving systems or wireless connectivity under a proposal submitted to Congress by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

The measure, called “Freedom Cars,” does not create a new category of automobile. Instead, it would prohibit federal, state, tribal and local governments from making autonomous technology or wireless data transmission a condition for driving on public roads, according to Newsweek.

Duffy outlined the proposal in a July 22 letter to congressional committee leaders describing the Trump administration’s priorities for the next surface transportation reauthorization bill. Lawmakers face a Sept. 30 deadline to renew federal transportation funding.

The provision appeared under the heading “Freedom Car Right to Drive Disconnected and Non-Automated.” Its purpose is to preserve access to vehicles controlled entirely by human drivers as autonomous and connected technologies become more common.

If adopted, the policy would prevent governments from requiring privately owned vehicles to include self-driving capabilities. It would also protect motorists who prefer cars that cannot transmit operational or personal data through wireless systems.

The proposal reflects the administration’s effort to separate technological advancement from compulsory adoption. President Donald Trump’s transportation officials are seeking to accelerate the testing and commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles while maintaining that consumers should decide whether to use them.

Duffy has argued that the United States must compete with other countries in the development of driverless transportation. The administration is therefore pursuing regulatory changes designed to remove federal barriers, expand testing and create rules specifically suited to autonomous vehicles.

At the same time, the Freedom Cars provision would establish a legal boundary preventing that expansion from eliminating conventional automobiles or restricting their use on public roads.

The measure is part of a wider transportation blueprint that the administration says will help launch a “Golden Age of Transportation.”

Other priorities include extending and completing portions of the Interstate Highway System, supporting permanent daylight saving time and reversing transportation and climate policies adopted during the Biden administration.

The proposal has not become law. Congress would need to include and approve it through the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization process.

If enacted, the protection would allow autonomous and connected vehicles to continue advancing without giving governments authority to require their use. Americans could continue purchasing and driving traditional cars controlled by a person and disconnected from wireless data networks.