The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to make it easier for automated vehicles that don’t meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to receive an exemption.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Friday, June 13 that NHTSA will streamline its Part 555 exemption process, which allows manufacturers to sell up to 2,500 motor vehicles per year that aren’t fully compliant. This includes vehicles that do not have traditional steering wheels, driver-operated brakes or rearview mirrors. To receive the exemption, manufacturers must demonstrate that the vehicle can meet an equivalent level of safety.
“The Part 555 exemption process has been rightly criticized for taking years – bogging developers down in unnecessary red tape that makes it impossible to keep pace with the latest technologies,” Duffy said in a news release. “We’ve streamlined this process to remove another barrier to transportation innovation in the United States, ensure American AV companies can out-compete international rivals and maintain safety.”
In a letter to industry stakeholders, NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser said that the current Part 555 exemption process experienced prolonged review times.
“In particular, reviews of requests involving automated driving systems have tended to require extensive follow-up with applicants,” Simshauser wrote. “In addition, since most ADS operations evolve over time as the technology matures, developing static terms and conditions for the entire lifespan of an exempted vehicle is often challenging and time-sensitive.”
To streamline the process, NHTSA plans to publish enhanced application instructions for manufacturers in hopes of eliminating the need for follow-up questions. Additionally, NHTSA said it recognizes the need for more adaptable terms and conditions “to build flexibility” into the Part 555 process.
“With these improvements, NHTSA anticipates reaching decisions on most exemption requests within months rather than years,” Simshauser wrote.
The agency said it will provide more information about the streamlined process when the new application instructions are posted on the NHTSA website.
The Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association applauded the change.
“Today’s announcement marks an important step forward in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s commitment to advancing a federal AV policy framework and supporting the safe and timely deployment of autonomous vehicles in the United States,” the group wrote in a statement. “We commend Secretary Duffy on his ongoing leadership and commitment to American leadership in autonomous vehicles. AVIA looks forward to collaborating with NHTSA as it works to implement these reforms and ensures the process is transparent, safety-driven and innovation-focused.” LL
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