US guidelines on self-driving cars get good reception at G-7

TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Sunday that his counterparts in the Group of Seven nations welcomed U.S. guidelines on regulating self-driving cars and have agreed to work together on creating such standards to maintain safety.

[...] issues include cybersecurity, ethics and privacy, wireless spectrum questions and many other issues, he said, while noting that reaching a resolution might take years, meaning the technology would be moving faster.

Speaking by telephone with The Associated Press, Foxx stressed road tests on autonomous vehicles must continue to encourage innovation.

Proponents say such technology can make cars safer because machines can react faster and they are less prone to human error.

Hans Greimel, Asia Editor for Automotive News, believes the new U.S. guidelines are an important "proactive" step in seeking powers to approve autonomous vehicles before they're brought to market, marking a departure from the past, when regulators enforce rules after the cars are already sold.