NHTSA Closes Out 2026 with Major AV, Tire and Recall Initiatives
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) continues to make steady progress in updating motor vehicle safety standards to keep pace with technological innovation. In late October, NHTSA announced two significant regulatory actions and a series of stakeholder events running through the end of the year:
- Tire Safety: First Major Update in More Than 20 Years. NHTSA issued a Notice of Intent to establish a Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee for Tire Safety. This would be the first update to tire safety standards in more than two decades.
- Lighting Standards for Automated Vehicles (AV) (FMVSS No. 108). On October 23, 2026, NHTSA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to modernize Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108 (Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment). The proposal is the latest part of NHTSA's AV Framework, proposing to ease certain lighting requirements given technological innovations, remove unnecessary manual control and telltale requirements for automated driving system-equipped (ADS-equipped) vehicles, and provide standardized "if equipped" requirements for ADS marker lamps that would be cyan-colored and generally align with other international and industry standards (SAE J3134) with certain exceptions.
NHTSA is not proposing to require marker lamps for all ADS-equipped vehicles. Rather, if a manufacturer chooses to use ADS marker lamps, the lamps would have to meet standard placement, cyan color, photometric intensity and visibility requirements so the driving public is not confused and can easily understand that the lights indicate the vehicle is ADS-equipped. NHTSA cites an international survey that showed more than 80 percent of drivers would like to be able to identify ADS-equipped vehicles by a marker lamp. The agency also notes marker lamps have value to first responders and law enforcement when interfacing with ADS-equipped vehicles. Comments are due November 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Upcoming Stakeholder Events
NHTSA has announced several public events over the next few months that affected industry and public stakeholders may participate in:
- November 5, 2026: Recalls Workshop. NHTSA will convene stakeholders to discuss ways to expedite vehicle safety recalls, including potential improvements to communicating risk and improving recall completion rates, as noted in the Federal Register.
- December 1-2, 2026: – Vehicle Safety Research and ADS Workshop. NHTSA will present its latest vehicle safety research findings, including research related to ADS safety. It will also hold a workshop covering the ADS exemption process, ADS regulatory considerations, and the status of ADS guidance and efforts to modernize the FMVSS, with an open house-style topical discussion.
- December 10, 2026: Aftermarket Modifications and ADAS. NHTSA will hold a workshop to discuss how aftermarket modifications may affect the safety of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) performance, seeking to balance vehicle owner autonomy in making aftermarket alterations with ensuring safety-critical ADAS functionality.
For more information or questions, please contact the authors.
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