NHTSA Drafts Rule Making Cyan Lights Optional for Driverless Cars

Drivers in major cities will soon see a new color on the road if federal safety rules move forward. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed a standard for cyan lights to indicate when an automated driving system is in control of a vehicle. This gives pedestrians, police officers, and other motorists a clear visual cue that no human is at the wheel.

The agency released proposed amendments to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108. The rule targets lighting requirements for autonomous vehicles. It seeks to create a uniform way for robotaxis to communicate their status. The proposal also aims to reduce regulatory barriers for manufacturers designing cars without traditional human controls.

NHTSA selected the blue-green hue because it avoids conflict with existing automotive lighting colors. Red, amber, white, and flashing blue or red lights already serve specific functions like braking, signaling, and emergency response. The agency stated the cyan markers would clearly signal to law enforcement and other road users when an automated system is operating the vehicle.

The cyan lights would be optional for manufacturers. However, any company that installs them must adhere to federal specifications for color, brightness, and placement. This prevents a fragmented market where different firms use varying signals for the same function. The rule would apply to companies such as Waymo, Nuro, Zoox, GM, and Mercedes-Benz.

The proposal also removes outdated requirements that do not apply to driverless cars. NHTSA would eliminate rules requiring physical hazard switches, manual beam shifters, and turn levers. The agency plans to update the 12.8-volt testing standard to accommodate modern LED systems. It is also considering dropping rules about the relative positioning of high-beam and low-beam lights.

These changes support a wider Department of Transportation effort to accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicles. The goal is to make it easier for automakers to build cars without steering wheels and pedals. The move follows state-level experiments, such as Mercedes-Benz obtaining approval for turquoise lights on its Level 3 Drive Pilot vehicles before shifting to a different system.

Existing rules remain in effect while the proposal is pending. Last month, NHTSA opened an audit query into the Tesla Cybercab to examine the data used for its certification. The audit focuses on the vehicle's lack of sideview mirrors, pedals, and a steering wheel, which are required under current federal standards.