US DOT considers letting fully autonomous vehicles forgo brake pedals
Big news for self-driving tech: The US Department of Transportation is considering a rule change that would let fully autonomous vehicles hit the roads without a brake pedal.
This could make it easier for companies like Tesla and Waymo to launch their robotaxi fleets, and it's all about clearing away old regulations that slow down innovation.
NHTSA seeks exemption for driverless cars
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to update safety standards so only fully automated cars, like Tesla's upcoming Cybercab, can skip the brake pedal. Regular cars with manual controls still need them.
If this goes through, it could speed up the rollout of driverless rides by removing hurdles that have stopped projects before (think GM's canceled Origin AV).
Industry leaders have been pushing for these changes to help bring autonomous fleets to life.