A New Global Milestone for Autonomous Vehicles: What the UN Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving Systems Means for Autonomy in the U.S. and Around the World
In late January, a United Nations regulatory body, the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (GRVA), approved a Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving Systems (ADS). The draft Global Technical Regulation (GTR), which took roughly 10 years to finalize, offers a framework for signatories on how to regulate and validate autonomous vehicles, emphasizing the “safety case” approach—a structured, evidence-based argument justifying the vehicle is sufficiently safe for market introduction. Rather than prescribing a single, bright-line performance metric, the framework leaves room for jurisdictions to be somewhat flexible in how they apply the guidance to their own, country-specific legal regimes.
Walk Like a CSHO: Cal/OSHA Proposes Its Own “Walkaround Rule”
On February 13, 2026, Cal/OSHA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to clarify who can join its onsite inspections. To be codified as Title 8 § 331.8 if implemented, Cal/OSHA’s stated goal is to match federal OSHA’s 2024 updates to 29 C.F.R. § 1903.8 and expand upon California Labor Code section 6314, which already states that “a representative authorized by . . . employees” can accompany Cal/OSHA inspectors during their “tour” of the worksite. In its new proposal, Cal/OSHA explicitly expands the definition of “representative(s) authorized by employees” to include an “employee of the employer, a third party, or the collective bargaining representative.”
Members of Congress Propose a New Bill to Regulate Autonomous Vehicles
This week, U.S. Representatives Bob Latta and Debbie Dingell released the discussion draft of a new bill: the Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research in Vehicle Evolution (SELF DRIVE) Act of 2026. This legislation, if enacted, would be the first federal statute dedicated to the safety of autonomous vehicles. It would have major implications for not only federal, but also state and local regulation. It would also raise some key legal questions and require federal regulators to promulgate a new federal motor vehicle safety standard very different from any of its predecessors. (more…)
Open for Business: A Look at NHTSA Auto Safety Investigations in the Second Trump Administration
The second Trump administration has seen drastic changes in the enforcement practices of many federal regulatory agencies. One area where investigative activity continues to be robust is auto safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has, in, recent months, been opening investigations at a brisk pace. Some of NHTSA’s work, particularly relating to autonomous operations and counterfeit equipment, has attracted substantial public attention. Other investigations have been more business as usual.
NHTSA Announces New Policies to Promote Autonomous Vehicles
On April 24, 2025, the Department of Transportation announced the new Automated Vehicle (AV) Framework from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The announcement, which was accompanied by a video from the Secretary of Transportation, included two new policy developments. First, NHTSA released a Third Amended version of its Standing General Order on Automated Driving Systems (ADS) and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Second, NHTSA announced that it would expand its exemption program for autonomous vehicles that do not fully comply with NHTSA’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. This update discusses both developments and their broader implications.
NHTSA Adopts Rule Requiring Automatic Emergency Braking on Light Vehicles
On May 9, 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a final rule adopting a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) that requires automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems in U.S. light vehicles and trucks by September 2029. The rule is required under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 (BIL), in which Congress directed NHTSA to establish FMVSS requirements for AEB systems as well as three other Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS): lane departure warnings, lane-keeping assist, and forward collision warnings (FCW).
