NHTSA Plans on Removing Brake Pedals The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is officially planning to update the United States’ Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) so that select vehicles will no longer require brake pedals. This is part of the Transportation Department’s most recent effort to help deregulate automobiles in a way that could benefit autonomous vehicles. Frankly, the federal government has been extremely accommodating ever since the industry first started testing self-driving cars. Most of the early guidance for autonomous vehicles was pretty open ended, with only the FMVSS requirements standing in the way of what could be used on public roads. However, the industry has been pressuring regulators to ease up so they can produce more AVs without human controls. Officially, the government wants to modify FMVSS No. 135 — which pertains to the braking systems equipped to light vehicles. “We are at the cusp of the greatest technological revolution in vehicle technology since the innovation of the Model T,” stated NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison. “If we want America to lead the way, we have to reimagine our regulatory framework. That’s why under Secretary Sean Duffy’s AV Framework, NHTSA is tearing down pointless barriers to innovative designs while strengthening the fundamental safety requirements that matter and holding AV developers accountable for safe performance. This approach will ultimately reduce roadway crashes, prevent fatalities, and increase mobility.” This has been the corporate line for well over a decade now. The claim is that pivoting the world to self-driving vehicles will ultimately save countless lives. However, much like the claim that electric vehicle ownership would somehow save the environment, the public remains unconvinced. In fact, protesting self-driving test vehicles has become increasingly popular in regions where some of these companies have been operating on public roads. Drivers have likewise