The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a new voluntary program to evaluate vehicles with automated driving systems (ADS). This program, called the ADS-equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency, and Evaluation Program (AV STEP) would allow all companies that operate or plan to operate compliant ADS-equipped vehicles on public roads, including vehicle manufacturers, ADS developers, fleet operators, and system integrators.
“AV STEP would provide a valuable national framework at a pivotal time in the development of ADS technology,” NHTSA Chief Counsel Adam Raviv said. “Safe, transparent, and responsible development is critical for this technology to be trusted by the public and reach its full potential. This proposal lays the foundation for those goals and supports NHTSA’s safety mission.”
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Participants could apply for the program through two methods depending on their operation. Each process has its own minimum eligibility requirements for ADS operations, with the general caveat that AV STEP is for vehicles that can already work on public roads or that need FMVSS exemptions or Make Inoperative Exemptions. As part of the program, NHTSA’s assessment would also be informed by independent third-party assessors, the Agency said, with the overall goal of providing greater transparency on automatic driving technology and helping them better study and oversee it. Additionally, AV STEP would feature two new exemption processes to review ADS exemptions. These processes would not replace NHTSA’s current processes.
The proposal will be open for public comment once the rule is published in docket No. NHTSA-2024-0100.
