Mercedes-Benz has achieved a groundbreaking milestone, securing permits for special exterior marker lights designed for automated driving in California and Nevada. This marks Mercedes-Benz as the world's first automobile manufacturer to receive such approvals. The California exemption permit allows testing for duration of two years, while the Nevada permit, applicable to Mercedes-Benz Model Year 2026 production vehicles, remains valid until statutory modifications are made with the state legislature.
These permits grant Mercedes-Benz valuable insights into the interaction between automated vehicles and other road users. The introduction of turquoise-coloured marker lights is anticipated to significantly enhance public acceptance of automated driving, making the system's status clearly visible from the exterior. This not only aids road safety but also enables law enforcement to identify the system’s status, ensuring compliance with regulations during conditionally automated journeys.
Designed following the SAE J3134 Recommended Practice, the turquoise marker lights are integrated into the front and rear lights, as well as the two outside mirrors of Mercedes-Benz testing vehicles.
Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Chief Technology Officer, Development & Purchasing, expressed Mercedes-Benz's commitment to setting new industry standards: "The more automated driving vehicles populate the road, the more important communication and interaction between the vehicle and the environment become."
First Use Case: DRIVE PILOT
The automated driving marker lights will debut in testing vehicles in California equipped with DRIVE PILOT, the world’s first SAE-Level 3 system for conditionally automated driving with internationally valid type approval. DRIVE PILOT, certified in 2021 in Germany and 2023 in Nevada and California, is a groundbreaking system that enables secondary activities for drivers during conditionally automated journeys.
The choice of turquoise for the marker lights fulfills crucial criteria, ensuring reliable and fast detection for other road users. It also differentiates from existing vehicle lighting and traffic signals, reducing the possibility of confusion. Turquoise, recommended in industry practices like SAE J3134, is deemed optimal for automated driving based on physiological and psychological factors.
Standardization and Global Acceptance
Mercedes-Benz is taking a leadership role in standardizing the use of turquoise lights to visualize the automated driving state. While there is currently no general framework globally, California and Nevada's exemptions represent an important first step. Mercedes-Benz aims to work towards a globally harmonized regulation for turquoise marker lights, ensuring heightened safety for all road users and fostering further technical innovations.
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