The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released the fourth and final volume of its multi-year research project examining how federal vehicle safety rules apply to cars equipped with automated driving systems, as regulators weigh updates to accommodate new vehicle designs.
The project, titled “FMVSS Considerations for Vehicles with Automated Driving Systems,” reviewed all 81 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) to assess whether rules originally written for human-driven vehicles could hinder the deployment of automated vehicles (AVs). The final volume completes work that began in 2017 and focuses on the remaining 23 standards.
NHTSA said the research is intended to support “safety-neutral” technical adaptations that allow automated vehicles to comply with existing rules without compromising safety, even when traditional features such as steering wheels, pedals or conventional seating layouts are removed.
“Our mission is to design standards that both enhance safety and support innovation,” NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said, adding that the agency is seeking to understand how regulations can evolve alongside rapid technological change in the auto industry.
The fourth volume examines test procedures and technical translations for standards covering braking and stability control, heavy vehicle systems and occupant protection, including rules related to unconventional seating arrangements. Earlier volumes analysed crash avoidance, crashworthiness and compliance challenges across the remaining FMVSS, providing what NHTSA described as a roadmap for future regulatory modernisation.
Alongside the publication, the agency issued a new Request for Comment, inviting feedback from automakers, technology developers and other stakeholders on emerging technologies, business models and issues that may not have been fully anticipated when the research began. NHTSA said the input would help determine whether the scope of future rulemaking needs to be adjusted.
The effort aligns with broader U.S. policy goals to remove regulatory barriers while maintaining safety oversight as automated driving technologies move closer to large-scale deployment.