The US Department of Transportation aims to accelerate the deployment of fully autonomous vehicles by easing rules that mandate traditional controls, such as steering wheels and pedals. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will now review exemption requests in months rather than years, addressing a major bottleneck in the industry. Despite previous attempts, few manufacturers have succeeded in receiving exemptions, highlighting the bureaucratic challenges faced by companies like General Motors. This change signals a shift towards a more supportive regulatory environment for autonomous technology.
The exemption process has been bogging developers down in unnecessary red tape that makes it impossible to keep pace with the latest technologies.
NHTSA says the process will now take 'months rather than years' for reviewing requests for exemptions related to traditional vehicle controls.
To date, only one company, Nuro, has received an FMVSS exemption for its low-speed delivery robots that aren't large enough for human passengers.
Last year, GM said it would stop funding Cruise after trying for over two years to get an exemption for its driverless vehicles.
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