The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said on Monday it will launch a series of regulatory changes aimed at modernizing federal safety standards for autonomous vehicles, in a move intended to enhance safety, reduce costs, and encourage innovation in transportation technology.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is initiating three new rulemakings to update Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for vehicles equipped with automated driving systems (ADS). Many of the standards were written decades ago with the assumption of a human driver, making them outdated for vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or manual controls.
“Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were written for vehicles with human drivers and need to be updated for autonomous vehicles,” said NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser. “Removing these requirements will reduce costs and enhance safety. NHTSA is committed to supporting the safe development of advanced technologies and advancing a new era of transportation.”
The rulemakings will review standards covering transmission shift positions, windshield defrosting and wiping systems, and lighting equipment. DOT officials said the effort is part of the administration’s Automated Vehicle Framework, which seeks to establish a national approach to autonomous vehicles while avoiding a patchwork of state-level rules.
“America must lead the way in transportation innovation. If we don’t, our adversaries will fill the void,” Duffy said. “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.”
The framework rests on three guiding principles: prioritizing road safety, removing unnecessary regulatory barriers, and enabling commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles. As part of the initiative, NHTSA has also outlined plans to streamline the Part 555 exemption process, which allows manufacturers to introduce up to 2,500 vehicles annually that may not fully comply with existing standards, providing a pathway for testing and early deployment of new technologies.
