Federal regulators have approved a five-year waiver letting Aurora and other fleets running Level 4 self-driving trucks use roof-mounted flashing beacons instead of the usual roadside emergency gear. Carriers other than Aurora must notify FMCSA ahead of time to take advantage of it. The agency concluded the beacons should deliver safety results at least on par with what the existing rules provide.
Key Points
- The waiver lasts five years and is limited in scope.
- It covers Aurora Operations (USDOT #341156) as well as other carriers that operate Level 4 automated driving system trucks, provided they give FMCSA advance notice.
- Relief applies to the rules on where emergency warning devices must be set out, the steady-burning lamp rules, and the rules on what kinds and how many devices must be carried.
- Cab-mounted warning beacons may stand in for the conventional warning devices on these autonomous vehicles.
- FMCSA found the approach likely to match or exceed the safety level of the current requirements.
Why It Matters
The decision establishes that autonomous truck operators can meet emergency warning obligations with roof-mounted beacons instead of devices placed on the roadway, since FMCSA judged the safety outcome to be equivalent or better.