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Google, Ford, Volvo, Lyft and Uber Join Coalition To Further Self-Driving Cars (reuters.com)
Google, Ford, Volvo, Uber, and Lyft are forming a coalition to help speed self-driving cars to the market. Until now, these five companies have all been working on their own driverless car initiatives. According to a statement, the new effort, dubbed the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets, "will work with lawmakers, regulators and the public to realize the safety and societal benefits of self-driving vehicles." David Strickland, a former top official of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is coalition's counsel and spokesman.
From the description (I didn't read the article since there wasn't a link), this sounds like an advocacy group to deal with legal matters and public opinion. This has nothing to do with working together to actually develop the technology. We'll likely also get some patent pool groups much like the MPEG licensing group.
Certainly the group they're forming could be expanded to include both patent pool licensing and technology development, but for now, they're just talking advocacy.
will work with lawmakers, regulators and the public to realize the safety and societal benefits of self-driving vehicles." David Strickland, a former top official of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is coalition's counsel and spokesman.
In other words, these major corporations have formed a special interest (super?) PAC to lobby congress and the regulators, led by a former regulator from one of the groups they'll be lobbying.
Yay?
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
They will have detailed records
Yes. Messing with a driver-less car would be stupid. Smile for the camera, because it will show up on your arrest warrant for reckless driving.