US grants Aurora exemption for self-driving trucks safety feature
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A Peterbilt 579 truck equipped with Aurora's self-driving system is seen at the company's terminal in Palmer, south of Dallas, Texas, U.S. September 23, 2021. Picture taken September 23, 2021. REUTERS/Tina Bellon
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - The US transportation department said late on Wednesday it approved a five-year exemption for Aurora and other self-driving trucking companies from rules that require drivers to place warning devices around a stopped truck.
The decision is a step forward in efforts to broadly deploy commercial self-driving trucks in the United States.
In 2023, Alphabet's self-driving unit Waymo and Aurora jointly sought a waiver of US rules requiring reflective triangles to be placed outside stopped trucks to help prevent crashes.
USDOT said Wednesday it has agreed to allow autonomous trucking companies to use warning beacons mounted on the truck cab to avoid needing human drivers and said they offered an equivalent or greater level of safety.
In April, Aurora filed a new individual application seeking a five-year waiver.
Aurora, which has around 20 self-driving trucks in on-road operations, said Wednesday the USDOT "decision underscores the government’s recognition of the immense economic and community benefits of autonomous trucking. High-visibility, cab-mounted warning beacons are a critical, 21st-century solution that enhances roadside safety by immediately alerting other road users without ever needing to put a person in harm's way."
Companies planning to use the exemption must notify the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration beforehand and disclose any crashes involving a vehicle while the cab-mounted warning beacons are activated or should have been activated. The agency said it would revoke exemptions if it results in a lower level of safety than was maintained before it was granted.
In early 2025, Aurora sued FMCSA over the decision to not approve the waiver during the Biden administration. The company dismissed the lawsuit after USDOT in October 2025 issued a temporary three-month waiver to use the beacons that had been extended several times.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Kate Mayberry)
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