The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed amendments to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 that would, among other lighting changes, allow optional cyan-colored marker lamps on vehicles equipped with automated driving systems^1,2.

The Verge reported that NHTSA wants a distinctive blue-green light to show when an automated driving system is operating the vehicle, after years of industry debate over how driverless cars should communicate that no one is at the wheel¹.

Under the proposal, cyan marker lamps would be optional; manufacturers that install them would have to meet federal specifications for color, brightness and location rather than inventing their own colors or signals¹.

NHTSA is proposing the lamps to signal to law enforcement and other road users when an automated driving system is operating the vehicle, The Verge reported, quoting the agency¹.

The Verge said red, amber and white are already used for required vehicle lighting, and that cyan is intended as a distinct color for ADS operation¹.

NHTSA is also proposing to drop some lighting requirements written for a human driver, including physical hazard switches, manual beam shifters and turn levers inside the vehicle, The Verge reported¹.

The same rewrite would update a 12.8-volt headlamp testing standard and consider ending a rule on whether high-beam lamps sit above or below low-beam lamps, according to The Verge¹.

The Verge said the lighting rewrite is part of a broader Transportation Department effort to make it easier to certify vehicles without traditional steering wheels and pedals, and noted that NHTSA last month opened an audit query into how Tesla certified its Cybercab against existing standards¹.

Sources

1. The VergeFeds want robotaxis to signal ‘I’m driving’ with cyan-colored lightsOct 23, 11:24 AM
2. NHTSAFederal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Modernization of FMVSS No. 108 to Accommodate ADS-Equipped VehiclesOct 22, 8:00 AM

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