The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is pushing forward with reforms to the visual identification standards for autonomous vehicles (AVs), with a proposal to introduce cyan external identification lights as a standardized signal. According to the latest regulatory proposal, these lights will serve as a clear indicator to law enforcement and other road users that the vehicle is operating under autonomous control. This move is intended to address the lack of visual cues in the current vehicle lighting system for AVs, preventing any potential confusion with traditional lighting signals like brake lights and turn indicators.

In addition, NHTSA is proposing to eliminate lighting requirements that are irrelevant to driverless vehicles, such as physical hazard warning switches and manual high/low beam switching mechanisms. It also plans to update the 12.8-volt testing standard to better suit modern LED lighting systems. Furthermore, the agency is considering doing away with the requirement that high beams must be positioned above or below low beams, thereby reducing design constraints for AVs.

This reform is a key part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's efforts to facilitate the widespread adoption of autonomous driving technology, with the goal of lowering compliance barriers for traditional control devices (e.g., steering wheels and pedals). However, models like the Tesla Cybercab, which omit standard features such as rearview mirrors and pedals, will still be subject to stringent safety audits.