The NHTSA stated that current vehicle safety standards, written decades ago, fail to account for automated vehicles.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy on Thursday announced the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is launching three rulemakings aimed at modernizing federal safety standards for vehicles with automated driving systems.
According to the auto safety regulator, current standards were written decades ago and fail to account for automated vehicles.
“The rules of the road need to be updated to fit the realities of the 21st century. Our changes will eliminate redundant requirements and bring us closer to a single national standard that spurs innovation and prioritizes safety,” Duffy said, while also warning that adversaries will “fill the void” if America does not engage with transportation innovation.
The NHTSA stated that the three rulemakings aim to relax mandates related to transmission, windshield defrosting and defogging systems, as well as lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment in vehicles equipped with automated driving systems and no manual controls. The changes will deliver on NHTSA’s Automated Vehicle Framework, unveiled in April and aimed at slashing red tape and pushing the commercial deployment of AVs, it added.
The move will come as a relief to players, including EV giant Tesla Inc. (TSLA), attempting to enable autonomous driving and ride-hailing. Alphabet Inc.’s (GOOG, GOOGL) Waymo is currently the biggest robotaxi operator in the U.S., with its autonomous ride-hailing available across multiple cities, including Austin, Texas, as well as Atlanta, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. Earlier this week, Waymo also said that it would begin testing its autonomous vehicles in Denver and Seattle.
The new announcement comes on the heels of others aimed at easing the deployment of robotaxis. In June, Duffy stated that the NHTSA will accelerate the safe development of automated vehicles by streamlining the process that allows manufacturers to sell up to 2,500 motor vehicles per year that do not fully comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. This allows for vehicles that do not have traditional steering wheels, driver-operated brakes, or rearview mirrors.
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