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NHTSA head says steering wheel rules could be reconsidered for robotaxis
The regulator cited NHTSA’s prior step to update standards by removing the manual brake pedal mandate for autonomous vehicles, a change that would apply only to vehicles designed to operate without a human driver.
The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the agency would consider changing federal requirements that autonomous vehicles include steering wheels, according to remarks reported by CNBC through Insurance Journal.
Jonathan Morrison, NHTSA administrator, argued that it does not make sense to require manual controls on vehicles designed to never be driven by a human operator, without offering a timeline or other specifics for any potential reevaluation of the steering wheel rule.
Insurance Journal said the comments follow an NHTSA move last month to update federal safety standards to remove the mandate for manual brake pedals in autonomous vehicles, as part of an effort to modernize driverless-car rules.
The brake pedal update, according to the report, would apply only to vehicles designed exclusively for operation without a human driver, while existing requirements would remain in place for other vehicle types. The piece also notes that Tesla is working on purpose-built autonomous vehicles such as its Cybercab, which is described as lacking a steering wheel or foot pedals, and that robotaxi competitors include Zoox and Waymo.