Federal Draft Unifies Robotaxi Lighting With Cyan

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed a national standard for cyan marker lights on driverless vehicles. The agency released amendments to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 to address how autonomous cars signal their status to other road users.

The proposal designates a specific blue-green color to indicate that an automated driving system is in control. NHTSA states this color would clearly signal to law enforcement and other drivers when no human is at the wheel. The agency chose cyan because existing vehicle lighting already uses red, amber, white, and flashing blue or red for braking, signaling, and emergency functions.

Under the draft rules, the cyan lamps would be optional for manufacturers. However, NHTSA would set federal requirements for the light's color, brightness, and placement. This approach aims to replace a patchwork of different signals with a consistent configuration. Companies such as Waymo, Nuro, Zoox, GM, and Mercedes-Benz could adopt the standard.

Mercedes-Benz previously won state-level approval for turquoise lights on its Level 3 Drive Pilot vehicles. The automaker has since moved to a Level 2++ system, but NHTSA seeks a unified national code. The proposal also allows manufacturers to remove physical controls designed for human drivers, including 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 that dictate the relative positioning of high-beam and low-beam lights. These changes align with a wider Department of Transportation push to speed up the deployment of autonomous vehicles by easing requirements for cars without traditional controls.

NHTSA is currently enforcing existing rules that require features like sideview mirrors, pedals, and steering wheels. Last month, the agency opened an audit query into the Tesla Cybercab. The review examines the technical data Tesla used to certify the vehicle, focusing on the absence of these required design elements.