US Government Seeks to Revise Regulations for Self-Driving Vehicles | Carscoops

      The government aims to adjust four regulations to eliminate the necessity for human drivers and manual controls.

      The NHTSA has introduced four revisions to federal motor vehicle safety standards.

      These modifications are intended to facilitate the integration of autonomous vehicles lacking manual controls.

      Officials assert that the rules were established decades ago and do not align with contemporary technology.

      The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is striving to revise federal motor vehicle safety standards to reflect advancements in autonomous driving technology. The administration believes these updates are long overdue, as the existing rules date back to a time when self-driving cars were merely a concept in science fiction.

      This is no longer the reality, and the government has suggested four modifications that would "address standards for vehicles with automated driving systems and no manual controls." Essentially, these changes are targeted toward robotaxis and shuttles, similar to those run by Zoox.

      Furthermore, the NHTSA intends to revise regulations concerning the “transmission shift position sequence,” along with windshield defrosting and defogging systems. Additional updates relate to windshield wiping and washing systems, as well as lighting and reflective devices.

      As clarified by the government, FMVSS 108 “includes requirements that assume a human driver and manual controls.” It also contains references to a driver's location and terms related to the use of the aforementioned controls.

      This recent initiative builds upon an earlier effort to simplify the Part 555 exemption process for autonomous vehicles. The government noted that these amendments would help “unleash American ingenuity,” while also averting a “harmful patchwork of state laws and regulations.”

      According to NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser, “Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were designed for vehicles with human drivers and must be revised for autonomous vehicles. Eliminating these requirements will lower costs and improve safety.”