The Department of Transportation (DOT) said on Thursday that it would ease some safety regulations for the development of self-driving vehicles in a move to maintain U.S. global dominance in the industry.
The DOT stated that it would expand the Automated Vehicle Exemption Program (AVEP)—which currently applies only to imported AVs—to include domestically-produced automated vehicles (AVs).
The program will exempt U.S. automakers from safety regulations for AVs intended for research or demonstration purposes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) letter.
“This Administration understands that we’re in a race with China to out-innovate, and the stakes couldn’t be higher,” Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement….