ADS-equipped vehicle safety standards (FMVSS modernization)

Current understanding

NHTSA is modernizing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) to accommodate vehicles equipped with Automated Driving Systems (ADS), including those without traditional manual driving controls. The first such action is a proposed rule to amend FMVSS No. 135 (light vehicle brake systems) to create parallel requirements for vehicles with and without manually operated driving controls while preserving core stopping-distance performance. Status: notice of proposed rulemaking; not yet finalized.

Evidence log

• 2026-02-10 — ADAS Functionality and Integrity Act: HR6688 (ADAS Functionality and Integrity Act) advanced from subcommittee to full committee by voice vote, signaling parallel legislative attention to driver-assist (ADAS) integrity alongside NHTSA’s FMVSS modernization for fully automated (ADS) vehicles. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-05-11 — Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026: cross-connection with connected-vehicle-security: Cybersecurity requirements for connected vehicles run parallel to FMVSS modernization for ADS-equipped vehicles, jointly shaping the federal regulatory stack for modern vehicles. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-26 — ADS-Equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency, and Evaluation Program; Withdrawal: NHTSA withdrew the separate AV STEP NPRM (voluntary ADS safety and transparency program), narrowing the federal ADS oversight landscape and leaving FMVSS modernization as the principal active NHTSA ADS rulemaking track. (novelty: 3)

Open questions

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