The recent revelation that hackers have found ways to remotely take control of cars made by Fiat Chrysler and Tesla is alarming. This is a danger that most drivers had not even imagined. And it comes on the heels of the recalls of millions of cars for dangerous defects.
Automakers are primarily responsibile for securing the technology systems they put into their cars. But these hacking attacks also underscore the need for government to play a more active role in making sure that the software for new entertainment, communications and safety systems being added to cars meets basic standards of security.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates auto safety, insists that it is closely monitoring these new technologies, and is running tests on car software. The agency has also encouraged the industry to create an information-sharing center through which companies can exchange information on security threats.
That’s good news. But N.H.T.S.A. should also start writing basic security standards that require automakers to test the software and make sure a car’s wireless system cannot be used to control the engine and brakes. The agency’s regulations on airbags, seatbelts and crash testing have helped save countless lives. New rules for software that operate cars could prove just as important.
As car technology advances, driving will become safer and more enjoyable. One system being developed jointly by industry and government would let cars communicate with one another using wireless frequencies. The Department of Transportation says this could reduce accidents by as much as 80 percent by warning drivers when they are getting close to other cars.
But these new systems will fail at times and hackers will try to find ways to subvert them. That’s why it’s important that regulators develop security rules for cars, which are becoming computers on wheels. A bill introduced by two Democratic senators, Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, would require the N.H.T.S.A. to do that and also require the Federal Trade Commission to come up with rules protecting consumer privacy as more cars are able to collect data on where they are driven. Automakers have access to this data, but it is unclear how they are using it.
The recent recalls by General Motors, Takata and other companies have weakened public trust in the industry and N.H.T.S.A. Automakers hid information about defects or took too long to act, while the agency was slow to piece together evidence that would have helped it identify problems sooner. Aggressively addressing concerns about the security of car software would help win back public confidence.
Meanwhile, Congress should give the agency more resources. Its 2015 budget of $268.5 million for safety research and operations has barely kept up with inflation in the last decade.