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U.S. federal safety regulators continue to tackle the sticky problem of autonomous vehicles, this time with a proposal that could signal to the public, quite literally, when a vehicle is operating autonomously. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed new lighting requirements for autonomous vehicles that include an option (dare I say a strong suggestion?) to use cyan-colored lights to signal when a vehicle is operating autonomously without a human occupant monitoring the road.

The agency is not proposing a mandate for blue-green lights. Importantly, under the proposal, the lights would be used when an AV is operating in autonomous mode. 

Still, federal regulators are clearly seeking some uniform way of identifying autonomous vehicles. 

The proposal establishes equipment specifications, including where the lights are mounted, the color they emit, and how they’re activated. It would also remove requirements for manually operated controls for turn signals, high beams, and hazard lights.

Under the proposal, the NHTSA suggests the lights be cyan (blue-green), remain steadily illuminated rather than flash, and be visible from the front, rear, and both sides. 

This latest proposal is one piece of a bigger effort to update regulations that help speed up the adoption of AVs while maintaining safety, according to NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison. 

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