The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) updated the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) to eliminate the mandate for manual brake pedals in vehicles designed to be driven exclusively by automated driving systems (ADS).
The move builds on the agency’s effort to safely unleash American innovation and rethink the types of equipment – like windshield wipers or a rearview mirror – vehicles don’t need if a human being will never drive the car.
Other braking performance requirements, including strict stopping distance standards, will be preserved. For ADS-equipped vehicles with manual driving controls, all existing standard requirements will be retained.
