NHTSA's AV program headed for scrap heap

NHTSA’s AV program headed for scrap heap The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s proposed program for autonomous vehicles drew criticism for its lack of mandatory reporting requirements. A little more than a year later, the agency announced that it is scrapping the program. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, one of the original critics, applauded the move but also called for a federal framework that prioritizes safety. Withdraw of AV STEP Program NHTSA issued a 2025 notice proposing a voluntary framework for evaluating and overseeing motor vehicles equipped with automated driving systems. The Autonomous Vehicle Safety, Transparency and Evaluation Program (AV STEP) would be established “with the goal of improving public transparency related to the safety of certain autonomous driving system-equipped vehicles, while allowing for responsible development of this technology.” The program quickly drew criticism from such groups as OOIDA, the Truck Safety Coalition and the North Carolina Department of Transportation. On Friday, June 26, the agency announced that it plans to go in a different direction. “The comments revealed that neither industry stakeholders, who viewed the program as overly burdensome for a voluntary initiative, nor safety advocates, labor unions and others, who argued the program was insufficient because it lacked mandatory requirements, felt the proposal would accomplish its objectives of stimulating participation while ensuring an appropriate level of safety oversight,” NHTSA wrote in the notice. NHTSA said it believes the goals of AV STEP will be better served by other initiatives the agency anticipates will advance safety and promote the innovation of ADS technologies. “The agency is certainly right to withdraw the AV STEP program,” said Jay Grimes, OOIDA’s director of federal affairs. “The voluntary structure of AV STEP would not have implemented the necessary transparency and safety oversight of autonomous vehicles currently operating on our nation’s roads. Unfortunately, USDOT