U.S. Proposes Voluntary Safety Framework for Self-Driving Cars

The Biden administration unveils guidelines for autonomous vehicles, but implementation will fall to the incoming Trump administration.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has introduced a voluntary program requiring self-driving car companies to submit safety plans and crash data for evaluation.
The program, known as AV STEP, aims to create a national framework for autonomous vehicle oversight while collecting data to inform future mandatory safety standards.
Critics argue the proposal lacks specific performance benchmarks, such as sensor requirements or low-visibility object detection capabilities, which are essential for safety.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to co-lead a new government efficiency department, may influence self-driving regulations, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
The proposed rules are subject to a 60-day public comment period and face uncertainty under the Trump administration, which may roll back transparency rules requiring crash reporting.