Google, Ford, Volvo, Lyft and Uber have created a coalition to promote unmanned vehicles.

Several large companies have formed an alliance to promote laws and other regulations on unmanned vehicles. The coalition includes the Internet company Google, the automakers Ford and Volvo (owned by Geely), the taxi services Lyft and Uber, all of them conduct scientific and technical developments in the field of autonomous transport.

Alliance members are going to work with lawmakers, regulators, and the public to “realize the public benefits and safety benefits” of the drones. Five companies expressed confidence that the future is behind unmanned vehicles, they will make transport more accessible, convenient and safe.

It was announced that David Strickland, in the past one of the leaders of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), will speak on behalf of the coalition. This organization is engaged in the creation of new rules for the regulation of unmanned vehicles.
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“Now [automakers] need clear rules that need to be made in [fully autonomous] cars for admission to participate in road traffic,” said Strickland. He stressed that manufacturers are not going to save on security: "No one wants to cut the path here." Strickland also explained that it is not only about lobbying politicians and regulators, but about “full-fledged campaign and movement.”

In 2014, 32,674 people died on US roads. 2.3 million people received injuries of varying severity in 6.1 million accidents. According to the NHTSA, about 94% of all accidents occurred due to human error.

NHTSA plans to release the first recommendations for unmanned vehicles for states, lawmakers and companies by July 2016. Until now, the question remains whether to allow the use of cars without the steering wheel, pedals and the driver, able to take control in an emergency. Google opposes such claims, although they are currently in force.

In February 2016, NHTSA officially allowed Google computers to qualify as drivers under federal law - an important step towards the full legalization of unmanned vehicles.