General Motors is seeking government approval to bypass current safety standards and deploy their 2,500 completely autonomous fleet by 2019.
GM argues that the current safety standards are only applicable for vehicles with human drivers, not driveless ones like theirs.
The "production ready" Cruise AV would operate in a controlled ride-share service with no driver, steering wheel, pedals, or manual controls. (Click here to view GM's Youtube video of the vehicle.)
At the Detroit Auto Show, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao confirmed that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received a petition.
"The department will review this petition, and give it responsible and careful consideration," she said. "This automaker also published a voluntary safety assessment letter, which helps increase public awareness about how these vehicles are designed to operate safely."
