A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposal would let automated vehicles display cyan marker lamps when occupants are not expected to monitor the road, giving road users a signal of the vehicle’s operating mode.
The agency’s Oct. 23 announcement proposed updating Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, the federal rule for vehicle lighting and reflective equipment. The proposed lamp specifications draw on the SAE J3134 consensus standard.
Automakers that choose to install the lights could use four to eight per vehicle: one or two at the front, one or two at the rear and one or two on each side. The minimum mounting height would be 15 inches. The lamps would shine steadily and switch on and off together.
They could activate while an automated driving system controls the vehicle if occupants are not expected to watch the roadway. They would have to turn off when an occupant is expected to monitor driving. NHTSA said a shared signal may help other road users recognize the vehicle’s operating mode, but the agency has not quantified possible safety benefits and cites insufficient information to require the lamps across all automated vehicles. It expects the optional lights to add no regulatory costs.
Other proposed changes would limit certain turn signal, hazard warning and headlight beam control requirements to vehicles with manually operated driving controls. NHTSA says the standard’s assumptions about manual controls can create regulatory barriers for vehicles without them.
The notice was published in the Federal Register on Oct. 26. Comments are due Nov. 25.
