NHTSA released the fourth and final volume of a multi-year project examining how 81 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards apply to automated vehicles, including designs without traditional driver controls. The agency also issued a Request for Comment about changes in technology and product plans since the work began.
This was research and public-input activity—not a final rule or a new dealership compliance deadline.
What the project examined
The work considered technical translations and testing issues created by unconventional controls, seating and vehicle architecture. Its stated objective was to inform future modernization while preserving safety performance.
What dealers should do now
Compliance and fleet teams should monitor the docket and later rulemaking rather than redesigning policy around a press release. Product training should keep driver-assistance systems distinct from fully automated driving systems.
NHTSA had not announced a final rule in the cited release; later docket activity controls current status.
Cited references
- NHTSA automated-vehicle standards research — Federal regulator