US grants Aurora exemption for self-driving trucks safety feature

Aurora Innovation

08/10/2026 02:16

WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department said late Wednesday it approved a five-year exemption for Aurora AUR.O and other self-driving trucking companies from rules that require drivers to place warning devices around a stopped truck.
The decision is a step forward in efforts to broadly deploy commercial self-driving trucks in the United States.
In 2023, Alphabet GOOGL.O self-driving unit Waymo and Aurora jointly sought a waiver of U.S. rules requiring reflective triangles to be placed outside stopped trucks to help prevent crashes.
USDOT said Wednesday it has agreed to allow autonomous trucking companies to use warning beacons mounted on the truck cab to avoid needing human drivers.

 (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
 ((David.Shepardson@thomsonreuters.com; 2028988324;))