The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to be ready for the future when vehicles will become fully autonomous, so it has adopted a rule that allows such vehicles to be sold and operated without physical controls. This was done because much of the safety terminology around cars uses terms such as ‘driver’s seat’ and ‘steering wheel’ which are expected to disappear in time, so transport safety institutions will need to adapt.
This first-of-its-kind rule is the first step and it updates the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards with more clear guidelines for self-driving vehicles in preparation for the future. The NHTSA issued a press release announcement which quotes U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as saying
