NHTSA develops safety standards for autonomous vehicle behavior
Autonomous vehicle mishaps including Waymo vehicles failing to respond appropriately at construction zones and school buses, and interfering with first responders, have prompted NHTSA to develop new behavioral safety standards for self-driving vehicles.
What happened
Waymo, operated by Alphabet Inc., recently recalled thousands of vehicles and suspended freeway operations after its autonomous vehicles drove through construction zones at high speed. Waymo vehicles also repeatedly failed to slow or stop for school buses.
Autonomous vehicles from multiple companies have interfered with first responders at emergency scenes. NHTSA officials stated that vehicles are blocking emergency personnel and that this behavior is unacceptable.
Reported impact
A series of safety incidents involving autonomous vehicles has prompted regulatory action. The incidents highlight how self-driving cars struggle to handle situations that human drivers commonly encounter.
Index analysis
NHTSA plans to develop new safety standards governing autonomous vehicle behavior, with the goal of identifying 'behavioral competencies' for self-driving cars and tests to measure performance. The agency aims to establish objective safety standards so manufacturers can know with certainty whether vehicles meet requirements.
NHTSA also proposed removing the mandate for manual brake pedals in driverless vehicles, a step intended to enable Tesla's Cybercab deployment without traditional human controls.
Governance controls
NHTSA stated it would continue to address individual safety incidents involving autonomous vehicles through its recall and enforcement authorities. Jonathan Morrison, NHTSA's top official, said the agency aims to finalize new safety requirements before the end of President Trump's current term.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.