NHTSA issues final rule for driverless cars

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued its final rule on driverless vehicle safety standards.

The new rule, NHTSA said, would modernize Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and clarify occupant protection standards for cars with automated driving systems designed without traditional manual driver controls.

The rule amends several crashworthiness regulations and exempts automated vehicles designed never to carry any human occupants, including human drivers, from crashworthiness standards.