But Mr. Obama, in an op-ed published in today’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, made it clear that the federal government has a role here.

“And make no mistake,” he wrote. “If a self-driving car isn’t safe, we have the authority to pull it off the road. We won’t hesitate to protect the American public’s safety.”

The “15-point safety assessment” in the policy is intended “to set clear expectations for manufacturers developing and deploying automated vehicle technologies,” the White House said. “It allows for varied methodologies as long as the objective is met.”

The safety points include how and where the vehicle functions; response to a system failure or crash; testing and verification; data recording; privacy considerations; adherence to traffic laws; and human interface.