NHTSA Proposes Cyan Lights for Autonomous Vehicles

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed lighting requirements for autonomous vehicles, including an option to use cyan, or blue-green, lights to indicate when a vehicle is operating autonomously without a human occupant monitoring the road. The agency has not proposed making the lights mandatory.

Under the proposal, lights would be used when a vehicle is in autonomous mode. They would emit cyan light, remain steadily illuminated, and be visible from the front, rear, and both sides. The proposal also sets equipment specifications, including where the lights are mounted, and would remove requirements for manually operated controls for turn signals, high beams, and hazard lights.

NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison said the proposal is part of a broader effort to update regulations to support adoption of autonomous vehicles while maintaining safety. The agency is also working on a federal automated vehicle framework and updates to federal motor vehicle safety standards. Those standards were not designed for vehicles such as the Tesla Cybercab and Zoox robotaxi, which lack traditional equipment including pedals, steering wheels, and side and rearview mirrors.

The proposal is one part of regulators’ effort to establish a uniform way to identify autonomous vehicles. The source does not specify a timeline for the proposed lighting requirements.