On Feb. 10, U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced S. 424, the Wi-Fi Innovation Act . The bill would require the Federal Communications Commission to open the reserved spectrum to unlicensed devices in the upper 5.8 GHz and lower 5.9 GHz band, eliminating the FCC and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ability to ensure the vehicle-to-vehicle technology is free from interference.
Companion legislation (H.R. 821) has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.).
The American Motorcyclist Association opposes these bills and shares the Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s position that the testing plan for the use of unlicensed devices in the 5.8 GHz to 5.9 GHz band “should proceed without pre-emptive legislation that sets arbitrary deadlines and restrictive parameters.”
Tell Congress you oppose these bills. Send a prewritten email by using the easy-to-use AMA Federal Action Center.
The AMA is concerned that over-reliance on technological driving solutions could increase the risk to motorcyclists by lulling motorists into a false sense of security and by reducing their overall awareness of their surroundings while behind the wheel.
Before allowing unlicensed devices to operate within the band, the DOT needs to test them, free from political pressure and artificial deadlines, to ensure that motorcyclists’ safety and privacy are secure and that vehicles using advanced crash-avoidance and vehicle-to-vehicle technologies are not compromised.
To date, the DOT has been unable to guarantee there would be no interference.
Intersections already pose a well-documented problem for motorcyclists. Imagine how much more dangerous intersections would become if drivers begin to rely on advanced safety technologies that are not thoroughly tested? Drivers may believe these technologies will protect them and other road users, and may not be prepared for malfunction at a critical juncture.
In testimony before the House Science, Space and Technology Committee in the last Congress, U.S. Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Gregory D. Winfree said, “We have very serious concerns about any spectrum sharing that prevents or delays access to the desired channel or otherwise preempts the safety applications. At this time, the department is unaware of any existing or proposed technical solution which guarantees interference-free operation of the DSRC safety-critical applications, while allowing Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 5.9 GHz spectrum” (emphasis added).
The DOT believes these technologies will reduce the 6 million crashes and more than 30,000 fatalities that occur annually on U.S. roadways. According to a National Telecommunications and Information Administration report, connected-vehicle technology “will enhance safety on the nation’s highways,” potentially addressing “80 percent of the crash scenarios involving non-impaired drivers.” The report also cites National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research showing that connected-vehicle technology “could help prevent the majority of types of crashes that typically occur in the real world, such as crashes at intersections or while changing lanes.”
In a landmark study published in 1981, the Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures Volume I: Technical Report (popularly known as the “Hurt Report”), the single most common multi-vehicle motorcycle crash involves a car making a left turn into the path of a motorcycle at an intersection. Additionally, in a “Motorcycle Accidents In-Depth Study,” researchers investigated in detail 921 crashes in 1999 and 2000 in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy and found that 54.3 percent of the crashes occurred at intersections.
Help ensure that future high-technology solutions for our roadways make the riding environment safer for motorcyclists. Tell Congress you oppose these bills!
