A World With Driverless Cars Is Closer Than You Think
In a recent test run in Phoenix, Arizona, a Waymo robotaxi completed a 12-mile ride with no steering wheel, pedals, or human driver inside. For passengers, it felt like a normal ride. For regulators, it was a signal that the future of mobility is arriving faster than expected.
Now, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is making it official. The agency announced it is streamlining the approval process for fully autonomous, control-free vehicles. This means cars without traditional human controls no steering wheels, brake pedals, or mirrors could soon roll onto American roads in greater numbers and at faster rates.
This move marks a critical inflection point for the autonomous driving industry. It also raises new questions around safety, liability, and public trust as technology leaps ahead of infrastructure.
Regulation Finally Catches Up With Driverless Vehicle Innovation
Until now, most driverless vehicles operating in the U.S. still had to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) designed for human-operated vehicles. Even if the car didn’t need a steering wheel, the law required one. This regulatory mismatch forced companies to apply for individual exemptions, slowing innovation.
The updated framework allows developers of driverless vehicles to skip some of these outdated requirements. Instead, manufacturers must prove their vehicles meet a new set of performance-based safety standards. According to the official NHTSA release, this is part of a broader effort to modernize regulations to accommodate the realities of autonomous technology.
The timing aligns with the rapid acceleration of autonomous vehicle development. Recent forecasts suggest the global autonomous vehicle market could surpass $2 trillion by 2030, driven by advances in driverless technology and urban mobility demands. The U.S. continues to lead the charge in deploying robotaxis and autonomous delivery fleets, spearheaded by players like Waymo, Cruise, and Amazon’s Zoox.
Navigating the Upside and Uncertainty of Driverless Approvals
The benefits of streamlining regulations for driverless vehicles are massive, but so are the challenges.
Benefits:
- Enables mass production of purpose-built autonomous cars
- Encourages innovation by reducing legal bottlenecks
- Lowers long-term transportation costs for cities and businesses
- Supports safer roads by removing human error from driving
Challenges:
- Public concern over safety and accountability in crashes
- Cybersecurity risks from fully connected vehicles
- Infrastructure and insurance systems are not fully prepared
- Legal gray areas on driverless liability and ethics
The Companies Already Going Control-Free
Several tech and automotive companies are wasting no time capitalizing on the regulatory shift.
- Cruise has deployed driverless taxis in cities like San Francisco and is building its Origin vehicle, a pod-like car with no steering wheel or pedals.
- Zoox, an Amazon subsidiary, recently showcased its bidirectional, symmetrical vehicle designed from the ground up for autonomy.
- Waymo, backed by Alphabet, continues testing fully autonomous rides in Phoenix and Los Angeles with no human driver.
- Nuro has received exemptions from NHTSA to deploy its delivery bots, which lack traditional vehicle controls entirely.
These companies can now move faster from prototype to production, bringing scalable and highly specialized driverless vehicles to market.
The Policy Shift Backed by Data
According to a study, autonomous vehicles could reduce traffic fatalities by up to 94% if widely adopted, assuming safety protocols are strictly followed.
Yet the report also cautions that public trust will be critical. According to 2022 survey 68% of Americans reported feeling unsafe in a fully driverless vehicle. That figure has remained stagnant over the past two years, signaling a need for more education and real-world exposure.
Experts argue that trust will only grow when driverless vehicles consistently demonstrate better-than-human driving behavior. The new NHTSA rules put the burden of proof squarely on manufacturers to demonstrate safety without legacy design crutches.
Why The Futurism Today Believes This Moment Matters
At The Futurism Today, we believe this policy shift from NHTSA is more than a regulatory update. It’s a philosophical acknowledgment that the way we define “a car” is fundamentally changing.
Driverless vehicles without traditional controls represent a clean slate for mobility. They open up possibilities for inclusive design, urban reshaping, and sustainable, efficient transport. They also challenge entrenched systems like driver’s licenses, traffic stops, and car insurance.
As companies move from testing to mass production, the coming years will determine whether the U.S. leads the next generation of autonomous transportation or falls behind more aggressive markets like China and the UAE.
The road is now clear for the driverless future to accelerate. Whether that future delivers on its promise will depend not just on tech companies or regulators, but on how fast society adapts to this historic shift.