US proposes to drop brake pedal requirements for self-driving vehicles

WASHINGTON - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed on Thursday ending a government requirement requiring manual brake pedals in self-driving vehicles.

The proposal would not apply to vehicles with human driver controls. NHTSA added it would not drop braking performance requirements, including strict stopping distance standards for self-driving vehicles.

The agency has proposed other changes to make it easier to deploy self-driving vehicles on U.S. roads.

(Reporting by David Shepardson)

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This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 9:15 AM.