Why the government wants self-driving cars to glow cyan

Robotaxis and other self-driving cars could soon get their own distinct cyan-colored lights to show when they’re being driven by a robot. The bright blue-green color would be standardized for automated driving system marker lamps under a new proposal for federal AV requirements. These and other standards were announced Oct. 23 by the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Cyan lights would let motorists and law enforcement know when an automated system is operating a vehicle, NHTSA said. The color was chosen because it’s not used for anything else and has industry backing. [Photo: Mercedes-Benz] SAE International, an aerospace and automotive professional association, recommends cyan for AVs because it says a unique color would have a clear meaning, unlike standard light colors like amber, red, or white. The group says it selected blue-green after asking manufacturers, suppliers, research organizations, and experts about several potential light color options, and NHTSA says the specifications for the cyan they’d set are different enough from the blue lights some states reserve for law enforcement or towing. [Photo: Mercedes-Benz] NHTS…

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