NHTSA Proposes Cyan Marker Lamps for Driverless Trucks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed updating federal lighting rules for vehicles designed to operate exclusively with automated driving systems. Land Line Media reported November 2 that the proposal would modernize Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 and establish specifications for optional cyan marker lamps that could identify when an automated driving system is operating a vehicle.

NHTSA's official announcement says the marker-lamp specifications would cover color, mounting location, activation and visibility. The proposal would also revise requirements for manual turn-signal, hazard-warning and beam-switching controls on vehicles that never depend on a human driver. Separate changes would modernize headlamp testing voltages and remove a prescribed vertical order for upper and lower beams. These are proposed revisions, not active equipment rules.

For trucking, the cyan signal could give law enforcement and other road users a consistent visual cue when a purpose-built driverless vehicle is operating autonomously. However, the lamps would be permitted rather than required under the proposal. A marker also would not tell nearby drivers how the automated system will respond in every traffic situation, so normal defensive-driving practices remain essential.

NHTSA is accepting comments through November 26 under docket NHTSA-2026-1519. Fleets, drivers, manufacturers and enforcement agencies can submit evidence about visibility, glare, roadside recognition and interactions with conventional trucks. Until a final rule is published with an effective date, carriers should continue following current lighting and inspection requirements. Drivers should report unusual lighting or vehicle behavior through established safety channels instead of assuming a cyan lamp changes right-of-way rules or roadside responsibilities.