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WASHINGTON — Congress needs to ensure autonomous vehicle technology operates under a national directive instead of a patchwork of guidelines from the states, a key House authorizer said Sept. 13.

Self-driving cars virtually have made every mistake imaginable inside the office of Applied Intuition. But that's a good thing, according to the autonomous technology company.

For all of the hysteria pundits have heaped on Washington in recent weeks, the current state of affairs really isn't abnormal. Here's a look ahead to the week for trucking on Capitol Hill.

WASHINGTON — The small role Congress currently plays in policy for autonomous vehicle technology could eventually slow, or impede, progress for states and firms testing such systems, a key House transportation authorizer warned on Sept. 5.

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah driver who slammed her Tesla into a stopped firetruck at a red light earlier this year while using the vehicle’s semi-autonomous function has sued the company, saying salespeople told her the car would stop on its own in Autopilot mode if something were in its path.

Autonomous vehicles are coming to another Dallas suburb.

When Waymo picks up its first paying customer in a driverless taxi later this year, the car doing the honors will be made by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV. Not the sensors and software — the futuristic technology that allows a robot to drive a minivan will be made by Waymo. The relatively boring minivan itself? That’s pretty much Fiat Chrysler’s only significant contribution to the race to develop autonomous vehicles.

Oklahoma state officials have held the first meeting of a task force that will study autonomous vehicles and how agencies and local governments should respond to the emerging technology.

An update of federal guidelines on autonomous technology that would encompass trucks, transit systems, infrastructure, cars and other modes of transportation will emphasize safety, the country’s top transportation officer said Aug. 8.