US removes human control element for autonomous driving - TechHQ

Autonomous driving regulators in the US have finally made it official: fully self-driving transportation in the country will no longer have to equip human driving controls in order to meet traditional road safety standards. The momentous rule change means that for the first time, automated vehicle makers will no longer have to include manual driving controls such as brake pedals and steering wheels for vehicles designated fully self-driving, representing a mammoth shift in safety expectations and regulatory oversight of the autonomous driving market. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the previous standard that all road vehicles had been held to, had actually been created in an era where fully autonomous driving had not even been conceived of -- essentially, the rules presumed that a vehicle "will always have a driver's seat, a steering wheel and accompanying steering column, or just one front outboard passenger seating position." These regulations have obviously become passe in an era where fully autonomous driving is now a distinct possibility, but even though the rules have been revised, lingering questions concerning road safety still remain. Last month, General Motors' self-driving subsidiary Cruise petitioned the NHTSA to approve and fully deploy its fully-autonomous Origin into full commercial operations -- a problem at the time since Origin did not come with human-centered features, like a steering wheel or a sun visor.