For autonomous cars: US government updates specifications for windshield wipers

The US government wants to adapt legal requirements for vehicle safety to facilitate the commissioning of autonomous vehicles. Specifically, the rules for windshield wipers and the associated systems and de-icing and demisting systems are to be revised, and there are also plans to ease the requirements for lights. This was announced by US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on Thursday, speaking of a long-overdue modernization. The regulations were drawn up decades ago and do not take automated vehicles into account, he explained.

Concern about competition

"The federal motor vehicle safety standards were written for cars with humans behind the wheel and need to be updated for autonomous vehicles," added the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Removing the requirement for windshield wipers, for example, would reduce costs and increase safety. His agency is committed to the safe development of advanced technology and wants to drive forward a new era of transportation. Duffy added that the USA must drive innovation: "Otherwise, our competitors will fill the gap."

As Bloomberg explains, the Trump administration has resolved to push ahead with the commissioning of autonomous vehicles. The step that has now been made public is the next step. It has been welcomed by car industry associations. Bloomberg still speaks of a "potential boon" for companies such as Tesla, which are working on putting driverless vehicles on the road. In a global comparison, Germany, for example, has very progressive legislation for autonomous driving, but there is still no type approval for Level 4 in this country. This means that vehicles can actually drive autonomously in defined areas under certain operating conditions. Tesla, for example, is a long way from this with level 2, while Mercedes offers level 3.

(mho)