Green-Blue Lights on the Road Could Soon Mean a Driverless Car

Look out, red and amber lights. Autonomous vehicles may soon bring another color to America’s roads.

U.S. auto safety regulators proposed a new category of cyan exterior lamps to identify driverless vehicles to other road users. One or two of the green-blue lights would be placed on the front, sides and rear of vehicles equipped with automated driving systems, at least 15 inches above the ground, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposal made public on Friday.

The new lights, which would be optional, would mark a shift from the limited color palette of passenger-vehicle exterior lights, which for decades have been confined to red brake signals, amber turn indicators and white headlamps. Adding a new category of cyan exterior lights aims to help law enforcement and other road users distinguish self-driving cars from vehicles operated by humans.

It’s part of a broader push by NHTSA to remove unintended barriers to autonomous vehicles posed by U.S. auto safety standards, many of which were developed long before the advent of self-driving technology.

For example, the agency in June proposed allowing automakers to remove the brake pedal in vehicles designed to be operated exclusively by an automated driving system. If adopted, the change that would clear a potential regulatory hurdle for Tesla Inc.’s Cybercab robotaxi.

Creating standards for autonomous vehicle lights would help ensure the cars are identified consistently, avoiding a patchwork of differing approaches that could confuse or distract other drivers, NHTSA said.

The agency is now seeking public comment on the latest changes. It often takes several months or more for such proposals to be finalized.