Aurora granted exemption from reflective triangles for autonomous trucks in wake of lawsuit against FMCSA

Aurora says it has been granted an exemption from reflective triangles for its autonomous vehicles by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. 

The autonomous driving technology company Aurora announced the exemption on October 9th. 

Aurora filed a suit against the U.S. Department of Transportation, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the FMCSA, and FMCSA Administrator Vincent G. White back in January after their petition to use “Cab Mounted Warning Beacons” in place of reflective warning triangles or flares was denied. Waymo was also involved in the petition and subsequent denial. 

“The cab-mounted flashing lights indicate when a vehicle is stopped on the side of the road to warn other road users, which is similar to systems used by emergency and construction vehicles, and is a step forward for road safety,” Aurora wrote in their statement. 

“History has proven that innovation improves the safety of our nation’s roadways. Aurora is committed to fulfilling our mission to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly. As part of that mission and our commitment to transparency, we look forward to continuing work with the federal agencies and federal and state policymakers to improve transportation safety for all commercial vehicles, strengthen our supply chain, and maintain the United States’ technological edge over international competitors.”

Because its request has been granted, Aurora says it will be filing a dismissal to the suit filed in January.