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The U.S. Department of Transportation is updating safety rules to make it easier for self-driving cars to operate nationwide.
Industry groups like Waymo and Tesla could benefit from clearer federal standards, while advocates call for stronger crash reporting and safety oversight.
Public skepticism remains, with surveys showing most Americans are cautious about riding in autonomous vehicles.
The U.S. Department of Transportation plans to pave a path for more self-driving cars on American roads by making a uniform set of rules instead of a patchwork of state and local regulations. Officials said Thursday that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is updating decades-old rules that never accounted for autonomous technology.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the three new regulations are designed to modernize the framework and replace standards written long before driverless vehicles existed.
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“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,” Duffy said.
NHTSA said the changes aim to provide self-driving cars a clear legal path nationwide while avoiding conflicting state rules. The updates, set for spring 2026, focus on vehicles built without steering wheels or pedals.
Under the new automated vehicle framework, one rule would modernize requirements for how transmissions shift and how vehicles start and stop. Another covers basic visibility such as defrosting, defogging and windshield wipers. The third would update standards for headlights, taillights and other vehicle lighting.
As part of the plan, the agency also wants to simplify its exemption process, which lets automakers sell up to 2,500 vehicles a year that don’t fully meet existing federal standards.
Jeff Farrah, CEO of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, welcomed the new federal rules on self-driving cars.
“Today’s announcement is another strong step toward a federal framework for autonomous vehicles as outlined in Secretary Duffy’s innovation agenda. Earlier this year, the autonomous vehicle industry called for federal action on manual controls in our federal framework,” he said.
The National Council on Disability recently sent a report to Congress, President Donald Trump and other federal officials highlighting transportation challenges for people with mobility disabilities. 
On July 23, the council outlined barriers these Americans face and urged policymakers to explore ways to expand transportation options, including access to autonomous vehicles.
Waymo leads the autonomous vehicle industry, operating a growing fleet in select U.S. cities. Tesla is developing self-driving technology through software updates and its “Full Self-Driving” package, but experts say it is still working toward full autonomy. 
The proposed NHTSA updates could give both companies a clearer regulatory path to deploy vehicles nationwide, especially models built without steering wheels or pedals.
Those in opposition to autonomous vehicles, like Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety, say adding self-driving vehicles could make roadways more dangerous, especially without regulations in place. Data from NHTSA shows 39,345 people died in U.S. car crashes in 2024, down roughly 4% from 2023, even as Americans drove slightly more. 
In April, Duffy originally unveiled NHTSA’s automated vehicle framework, aimed at speeding up the rollout of self-driving cars. 
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety said at the time the changes don’t go far enough. They had urged NHTSA to improve transparency and accountability by requiring more detailed crash reporting. The advocates also point to early incidents in cities like Austin and San Francisco, where robotaxis have blocked emergency vehicles or caused serious pedestrian injuries. 
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A February 2025 AAA survey shows Americans remain cautious about self-driving cars. Only 13% of U.S. drivers said they would trust riding in an autonomous vehicle, up slightly from 9% in 2024. Still, about 6-in-10 drivers report feeling uneasy about getting in a self-driving car. 
The survey also showed most favor improving traditional vehicle safety features over the development of fully autonomous vehicles, with interest dropping from 18% in 2022 to 13% this year.
[KALÉ CAREY] 
THE ROAD AHEAD FOR SELF-DRIVING CARS IS GETTING CLEARER.
THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS UPDATING SAFETY RULES THAT HAVEN’T BEEN MODERNIZED SINCE LONG BEFORE DRIVERLESS VEHICLES EXISTED.
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY SEAN DUFFY SAYS THE NEW RULES CREATE A SINGLE NATIONAL PATH FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, REPLACING REDUNDANT REGULATIONS AND BOOSTING SAFETY.
THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION SAYS THE UPDATES FOCUS ON VEHICLES WITHOUT STEERING WHEELS OR PEDALS. 
WAYMO, ALREADY LEADING WITH CITY FLEETS, COULD USE THE NEW RULES TO EXPAND MORE QUICKLY NATIONWIDE. 
TESLA IS STILL DEVELOPING FULL AUTONOMY THROUGH SOFTWARE UPDATES AND ALSO STANDS TO BENEFIT FROM CLEARER FEDERAL GUIDELINES.
ONE RULE MODERNIZES TRANSMISSIONS AND START/STOP REQUIREMENTS. 
ANOTHER ADDRESSES VISIBILITY, LIKE DEFROSTING AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS. 
WHILE THE THIRD UPDATES HEADLIGHTS, TAILLIGHTS AND OTHER LIGHTING.
THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION CALLED IT ANOTHER STRONG STEP TOWARD A FEDERAL FRAMEWORK.
BUT SOME REMAIN CAUTIOUS. 
OPPONENTS WARN SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES COULD POSE RISKS WITHOUT STRONG REGULATIONS. 
ADVOCATES FOR HIGHWAY AND AUTO SAFETY SAY EARLY ROBOTAXI INCIDENTS HAVE BLOCKED EMERGENCY VEHICLES OR CAUSED PEDESTRIAN INJURIES, RAISING THEIR CONCERNS.
A FEBRUARY 2025 AAA SURVEY SHOWS AMERICANS ARE STILL WARY. 
ONLY 13% WOULD TRUST RIDING IN A SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE, AND SIX IN TEN ARE NERVOUS ABOUT IT. 
READ MORE OF THE STORY RIGHT NOW ON THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS MOBILE APP OR BY VISITING SAN DOT COM. 
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M KALÉ CAREY
Changes to federal regulations for autonomous vehicles will shape how these cars operate nationwide, affect safety standards and shape the future of transportation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation aims to replace outdated vehicle rules with updated standards, providing a clearer legal framework for self-driving cars and reducing conflicting state regulations.
Concerns about accident risks, crash reporting, and transparency persist, with both industry advocates and critics emphasizing the importance of prioritizing safety to build lagging public confidence in autonomous vehicles.
The proposed regulations may encourage technological advances and improve mobility for groups such as people with disabilities, while also offering industry leaders like Waymo and Tesla a streamlined path to nationwide deployment.
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