washington bipartisan trio u.s. senators say tuesday plan introduce legislation remove regulatory roadblocks introduction self-driving cars include sort conflict state federal rule republican senator john thune chair commerce committee bill nelson top democrat panel senator gary peters michigan democrat say joint statement exist federal vehicle regulations write recent decades account self-driving cars without human driver behind wheel thune say senators hop reach agreement base prioritize safety fix outdated rule clarify role federal state governments federal auto regulations pose significant legal hurdle must clear fully self-driving cars sell without steer wheel gas pedal government report say last year senate commerce committee hold hear self-driving cars wednesday mitch bainwol head alliance automobile manufacturers auto trade group tell panel congress work eliminate state local laws could unduly burden restrict use self-driving vehicles future senators join broad movement washington respond call detroit silicon valley federal action set rule self-driving cars rather allow state california write potentially conflict rule chairman house energy commerce committee tell reuters last week plan unveil package legislation overhaul federal rule govern self-driving vehicles company alphabet inc general motor co volkswagen ag vowg_p.de pursue automate technologies want unify federal regulations replace outdated rule make simple develop eventually sell technology across country april automakers technology company urge california make change propose state regulations govern autonomous vehicles many oppose california plan require state permit deploy autonomous vehicles must meet performance design criteria u.s. transportation department say last week would unveil revise self-driving guidelines within next months respond automakers call regulations sanction costly efforts put autonomous vehicles road vehicle crash annually kill 35,000 people u.s. roads injure 2.4 million economic cost vehicle crash least 240 billion annually government say senators unveil road map self-driving car legislation