White House due to release autonomous driving guidelines

The US will for the first time release guidelines for self-driving cars on Tuesday, as the Department of Transportation publishes a document outlining rules for the safety of such autonomous vehicles.

Safety in newly-developed self-driving vehicles has become a key issue, after one of the market leaders, Elon Musk's Tesla, became embroiled in an investigation following the death of a driver in Florida who was using its Autopilot technology.

The new document is said to contain "vehicle performance guidance for manufacturers, developers, and other organisations".

Car manufacturers are insistent that their own internal standards are thorough enough, without an external influence from the government.

The DOT guidelines are expected to provide definite boundaries as to where and when self-driving technology can be operated, and rate the performance of each system.

Concerns regarding cybersecurity are also thought to be an important facet of the autonomous vehicle debate, with the possible ability of hackers to take control of systems which would put passengers in danger.

US senator Ed Markey, who had questioned automaker executives in a hearing regarding self-regulation, dismissed the industry's claims.

"We don’t pass murder statutes for our mothers," he said. "We do it for all the people who might commit murders."