Department of Transportation Eases Safety Regulations for Self-Driving Cars

The transportation secretary said slashing red tape would help the United States in the innovation race with China.

A Tesla Model 3 vehicle drives using FSD (Full Self-Driving) in Encinitas, Calif., on Oct. 18, 2023. Mike Blake/Reuters

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).