(February 3, 2014) AAA President and CEO, Bob Darbelnet applauds today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technologies.
“Each year 33,000 Americans are killed and 2.3 million more are injured in motor vehicle crashes on our roadways,” said Darbelnet. “Vehicle technology that has the potential to automatically identify safety risks and provide drivers with real-time crash avoidance warnings can make America’s road network a safer place for its millions of users nationwide. We look forward to continuing to work with U.S. DOT, NHTSA and other stakeholders to ensure that the safety benefits of this technology are fully realized and that consumers remain top-of-mind as cars become increasingly connected.”
As an advocate for vehicle safety for more than a century and in response to rapid advances in connected car technologies, AAA recently introduced its Consumer Rights for Car Data. These principles outline the key tenets of transparency, choice and security that should apply to the information a car generates and guide public and private action in the rapidly evolving connected vehicle space.
AAA’s Consumer Rights for Car Data
- Transparency – Consumers have a right to clearly understand what information is being collected from their vehicle and how it is being used. Businesses and the government should be transparent about the collection and use of vehicle data.
- Choice– Consumers have a right to decide with whom to share their data and for what purpose. This includes ongoing monitoring of vehicle systems, repair and any data of the vehicle owner’s choice. Customers should not be forced to relinquish control as a condition of purchasing or leasing a vehicle or of receiving a connected-vehicle service.
- Security– Consumers have a right to expect that connected-vehicle manufacturers and service providers will use reasonable measures to protect vehicle data systems and services against unauthorized access and misuse.