The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration must revamp operational safety regulations and resolve questions about automated surface transportation of hazardous materials to support wider use of autonomous trucks, according to new government guidance.
The report outlined DOT actions to eliminate red tape, update key regulations and ensure safety while promoting greater use of AVs.
Hazardous materials Introducing greater transportation automation raises issues for DOT involving the surface transportation system and movement of hazardous materials.
Consequently, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has published a proposed rulemaking asking for stakeholder comments about possible changes to the Hazardous Materials Regulations to facilitate the safe transportation of hazardous materials using highly automated transportation systems.
However, DOT noted: • AVs “do not and will not” rely on available third-party information or smart infrastructure for safety-critical activities.