Standing Up for Safety: Bringing Roadside Warning Devices into the 21st Century

On December 26, 2024, after two years of silent review, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) denied Aurora’s application to pilot modernized roadside warning systems in autonomous trucking. While this does not prevent us from complying with existing regulations when we launch our driverless trucks in April, this decision raises a more important question: as Americans, how do we think about safety and innovation on our roads?

At Aurora, we are driven by a safety-always culture. Our autonomous trucking fleet drives thousands of miles per week, and our work hauling freight for customers deeply informs how we think about improving safety on the roadside. From our experience:

• Safe, accessible roadside warning systems have already been implemented outside of trucking. Emergency and construction vehicles use high-visibility flashing lights to alert other drivers when stopped on the roadside. After prototypes, data-backed research, and engagement with safety experts, Aurora proposed a similar solution for trucking. Why are we denying this safety tool for America’s truckers?

• Today’s roadside warning system is outdated. The current warning system to indicate when a truck is stopped on the side of the road – hand placement of warning triangles – is not only over half a century old, it has never been updated and is not backed by any data or research showing that it improves safety.

• Urgent action is needed to reduce roadside fatalities. In the decades since this system was put in place, countless truck drivers have been killed by oncoming vehicles while placing these warning triangles. Yet, more than fifty years after warning triangles were mandated, FMCSA just this week announced that they are going to look into the crash prevention benefits of those devices for the first time.

We have deep and enduring respect for our partners in government and we recognize the difficulty in modernizing a long-established system – regardless of its current ineffectiveness.

So now, Aurora is petitioning a court to revisit the FMCSA’s unreasonable denial to use this innovative flashing light warning system. We’re hopeful that this action can open a pathway to a fair evaluation of an innovative, and safer, solution.

We live in the greatest country in the world, and it is my firm belief that the revolution in automotive safety technology that has taken place since the current roadside warning system was put in place in 1972 should be reflected in today’s trucking regulations.

As the U.S. government transitions into the incoming Trump administration, Aurora and the safety advocates supporting this solution know that there are hardworking, passionate transportation leaders ready to support innovation and save lives. We look forward to working with these leaders to update the archaic system used today and support a safer, more innovative future for trucking.