NHTSA Asked to Exclude One Vehicle from Safety Standards

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been asked to exclude a certain low-speed vehicle from certain Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). The Administration will make its decision following a public comment period where members of the community can express their concerns or agreement in regard to the proposal.

Earlier this week Nuro Inc. (Nuro) petitioned the NHTSA for a “temporary exemption from FMVSS No. 500.”The exemption directly relates to specifications for low-speed vehicles. If exempt, it would make the field evaluation of low-emission vehicles easier without unreasonably lowering the safety of the vehicle, according to the report.

“The vehicle for which Nuro requests an exemption is a low-speed, highly automated delivery vehicle intended to be operated without any human occupants and thus designed without any seating,” a portion of the report reads.

The company highlighted the fact that the vehicle will not have any occupants because, according to the report, it is trying no forgo having to install items like rearview mirrors, a windshield that complies with FMVSS No. 205, and a backup camera system that complies with FMVSS No. 111. Could this exclusion impact how your shop does business in the future long term?

“Nuro states the absence of human occupants, combined with the vehicle’s various safety design features, including the vehicle’s Automated Driving System (ADS), make compliance with these provisions of FMVSS No. 500 either unnecessary for, or detrimental to, the safety of pedestrians and cyclists,” a portion of the report reads.

Prior to the NHTSA making its decision on whether or not Nuro’s vehicle will be granted exemption from certain safety standards, it will hear opinions from the public on the issue.