Autonomous vehicles: NHTSA proposes cyan signal lights

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US road safety regulator, is proposing new provisions on lighting for autonomous vehicles. TechCrunch reports on them in its October 25 publication, without giving a precise date for the proposal’s submission.

The proposed system would signal that a vehicle is operating in autonomous mode without a human occupant responsible for monitoring the road. The agency suggests cyan lights, between blue and green, that remain steadily illuminated rather than flashing and are visible from the front, rear and sides. TechCrunch specifies that the proposal would not make these blue-green lights mandatory.

The text sets out specifications for the equipment’s placement, color and activation. It would also remove certain requirements for manual controls for turn signals, high beams and hazard lights. These provisions remain at the proposal stage in the reported information.

The potential benefit of a common signal would be to make the driving mode identifiable from outside. This interpretation concerns other road users’ ability to recognize the vehicle’s status; it does not establish that this lighting would, on its own, improve road safety.

The information displayed must also be distinguished from the driving system’s actual capabilities. The document describes a means of signaling and a proposed adaptation of equipment, without providing an assessment of the public’s understanding of this signal.