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NHTSA, GM Discuss Self-Driving Vehicles Without Steering Wheels

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently met with General Motors to talk about its petition to deploy self-driving vehicles without steering wheels or other human controls.

by Staff
December 24, 2019
NHTSA, GM Discuss Self-Driving Vehicles Without Steering Wheels

This is the first time that NHTSA is reviewing a vehicle where all driving decisions will be made by a computer rather than a human driver

Photo via Pxhere.

1 min to read


The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been talking with General Motors about its petition to deploy self-driving vehicles without steering wheels or other human controls, according to a Reuters report.

NHTSA plans to make a decision soon on GM’s petition as well as the request by driverless delivery startup Nuro to deploy a limited number of the automated delivery vehicles. 

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GM Chief Executive Mary Barra and U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao met recently to talk about the petition, according to the report.

This is the first time that NHTSA is reviewing a vehicle where all driving decisions will be made by a computer rather than a human driver, says the report. 

“We’re in communication with them about how they are ensuring the safe operation of the vehicle,” said NHTSA Administrator James Owens. “We will continue having a back and forth with them.”

This year, Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo units started offering some rides with no human driver in its autonomous ride-hailing service, but the vehicles have steering wheels and employees view remote feeds of each vehicle’s camera.

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