It has been reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is issuing a Final Rule on Occupant Protection for Vehicles with Automated Driving Systems (ADSs). It has not yet been published in the Federal Register (FR), but will become effective 60 days following publication. Petitions for Reconsideration need to be submitted within 45 days of publication in the FR.
The Final Rule is to remove barriers contained in the occupant protection Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs) for vehicles with ADSs that lack the traditional manual controls necessary for human drivers, but that otherwise have typical seating configurations. The Final Rule is to provide clarification for applying current occupant protection standards to ADS equipped vehicles without traditional manual controls, while maintaining the regulatory text’s application to more traditionally designed vehicles and vehicles equipped with ADS that may have alternate modes.
NHTSA noted that it is not yet changing any requirements related to warning signals, (which the agency is still researching), vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility, (which isn't addressed in existing standards for cars with drivers) or unconventional seating arrangements, (which also require more research).