Federal Government Slashes Regulations Slowing Autonomous Cars

Ready or not, more autonomous cars are coming to American roads after regulations have been slashed. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made the move to streamline a system he characterizes as “bogged down in unnecessary red tape.” But we’re sure many will worry this move will put the public in danger.

Hyundai has an interesting rear end collision prevention system.

The aim of this move made by DOT and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is to speed up the development of autonomous vehicles or AVs. Many fear that federal regulations have been holding back the rolling forth of the technology, which could put the US at a disadvantage.

This means the Part 555 exemption, which allows car manufacturers to sell up to 2,500 vehicles annually that don’t meet all the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, will be relaxed. AVs which don’t have steering wheels, pedals, side mirrors, and other safety equipment human drivers would need fall under this exemption.

Another aim is to speed up applications for the Part 555 exemptions. If you’ve ever worked with the government on anything, you know rapidity isn’t usually valued.

Federal regulators are also letting applicants know upfront how the process works and everything needed from them. Plus, how applications are evaluated will evolve along with the rollout of new technologies, rewarding instead of punishing innovation.

There aren’t many autonomous cars on American roads at the moment, something the Trump administration has vowed to change. But as CBT News points out, at the moment there’s a single company which has AVs through a Part 555 exemption, another thing the regulators aim to change.

For people who live in areas where Waymo or other companies are operating robotaxis, this might not feel like a big deal. But for people who have no known experience with AVs, this might be a jarring change and one that could be coming relatively quickly.

Image via Mercedes