Expanding autonomous company wants to skip eight safety rules
Autonomous developer Zoox recently announced a partnership with Uber, expanding service in select cities.
Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas and Phoenix are among the new markets.
The Foster City, Calif.-based autonomous company has also filed a petition for an exemption from eight Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
The Zoox request includes portions of the following requirements, according to the Federal Register.
- FMVSS No. 103 – windshield defrosting and defogging systems
- FMVSS No. 104 – windshield wiping and washing systems
- FMVSS No. 108 – lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment
- FMVSS No. 111 – rear visibility
- FMVSS No. 135 – light vehicle brake systems
- FMVSS No. 201 – occupant protection in interior impact
- FMVSS No. 205 – glazing materials
- FMVSS No. 208 – occupant crash protection
Comments can be made on Regulations.gov, by mail or by fax and must be received by April 10.
On March 10, NHTSA hosted an autonomous vehicle safety forum where it announced updated technical guidance for autonomous developers and proposed updates to federal autonomous standards.
“We want to enable innovation but we need to make sure the innovation is taking place in a safe manner.”
NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison spoke with @wusa9 about ensuring safety while enabling automated vehicle innovation at the first National AV Safety Forum in DC on… pic.twitter.com/1hu1YfuRqr
— nhtsagov (@NHTSAgov) March 12, 2026
In a letter to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, OOIDA said the Safety Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research in Vehicle Evolution Act fails to ensure the safe operation of autonomous trucks.
“HR7390 would permit the operation of 80,000-pound trucks based on unverified assertions of companies with a vested financial interest in their deployment,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer wrote. “While companies would be required to develop a ‘safety case’ describing how the vehicle would operate safely, there is no requirement that the federal government verify these plans. In fact, companies would not need to provide these cases to the government before deployment, or possibly even at all.”
Cybersecurity is also being overlooked, OOIDA contends.
“As written, the legislation grants manufacturers significant discretion while offering the public little transparency or assurance that cybersecurity threats are being addressed promptly or appropriately,” OOIDA wrote. LL