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Will Driverless Cars Like Cybercab Get Cyan Lights? NHTSA Proposes Optional Ones

Illustration of a driverless car with cyan marker lights and the text NHTSA Proposal: Optional Cyan Lights for Driverless Cars
10/26/2026 | The RED Review |

NHTSA on Oct. 23 proposed rules for optional cyan “ADS marker lamps” that would show when an automated driving system is driving. The notice was published in the Federal Register on Oct. 26, and comments are due Nov. 25, 2026. It is a proposal, not a final rule.

Will driverless cars get cyan lights? Possibly, but only if automakers choose to fit them. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed specifications for optional cyan marker lamps on vehicles with automated driving systems (ADS). If a vehicle has the lamps, they would have to meet the spec. NHTSA is not proposing to require them, and the Federal Register notice says the agency lacks the information to require them on all ADS vehicles. The proposal would also bar installing the lamps on vehicles without ADS functionality.

What would the cyan lamps look like?

The notice of proposed rulemaking (FR Doc. 2026-21794) sets out color, placement, activation and visibility. Under the proposal, the lamps would:

  • Be cyan, the blue-green color defined in SAE J578
  • Number one or two each on the front, each side and the rear, for four to eight in total
  • Be mounted at least 15 inches off the ground
  • Burn steadily and switch on and off together
  • Meet separate daytime and nighttime visibility requirements

Flashing lamps are not the proposed default. NHTSA asks for comment on that question. NHTSA says its choices are consistent with SAE J3134, a voluntary industry recommended practice, not a regulation.

When would they turn on?

The lamps would light only when the ADS is operating the vehicle and no occupant is expected to monitor the roadway. They would have to switch off whenever an occupant is expected to monitor it. A vehicle that can be driven by a person or by a true ADS could, in principle, use them while the ADS is driving.

NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said: “As automotive technology continues to evolve, our safety standards must keep pace with innovation in ways that do not compromise public safety. These proposed updates address unnecessary regulatory burdens for vehicles built without traditional manual controls while establishing clear performance standards for automated vehicle marker lamps. By aligning our regulations with today’s technology, we are paving the way for safe innovation and setting clear rules of the road for automated vehicles.”

What else is in the proposal?

The cyan lamps are one part of a broader update to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, the lighting standard. According to NHTSA, the proposal would also:

  • Modernize manual turn signal, hazard warning and beam-switching control requirements for vehicles operated only by ADS
  • Let makers certify integral beam headlamps at their design voltage instead of a fixed 12.8 volts
  • Drop rules on the vertical order of low and high headlamp beams

What does it mean for Cybercab?

Gold Tesla Cybercab on a display floor with its butterfly door open showing the Cybercab script
A Tesla Cybercab on public display. JustAnotherCarDesigner / Wikimedia Commons / CC0

The NPRM does not name Tesla or Cybercab. Cybercab is built without a steering wheel or pedals for driverless operation, so it is in the class of ADS-only vehicles the manual-control changes are written for. Tesla has not said whether it would fit cyan marker lamps, and Redfire is not assuming it will.

Does this change FSD (Supervised) on my Tesla?

No. FSD (Supervised) requires an attentive driver who is expected to watch the road. Under the proposal, the lamps must be off whenever an occupant is expected to monitor the roadway, so they would not apply to FSD (Supervised) use on customer cars.

How can you comment?

Comments go to Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1519 at regulations.gov by Nov. 25, 2026. To file one:

  1. Open the docket on regulations.gov.
  2. Select the proposed rule, FR Doc. 2026-21794.
  3. Click Comment and write what you think about color, placement or flashing.
  4. Submit before the Nov. 25 deadline.

Answers

Are cyan lights now required on driverless cars? No. They are optional, and this is a proposal, not a final rule.

Could I add cyan marker lamps to my car? The proposal would prohibit them on vehicles without ADS functionality.

Will the Cybercab have cyan lights? Tesla has not said. The proposal does not name Tesla.

Do the lamps flash? The proposal calls for steady-burning lamps. NHTSA asks for comment on flashing.

When are comments due? Nov. 25, 2026, on Docket NHTSA-2026-1519.

Sources

  • NHTSA, press release, Oct. 23, 2026
  • Federal Register, FR Doc. 2026-21794, Docket NHTSA-2026-1519, Oct. 26, 2026
  • Regulations.gov, Docket NHTSA-2026-1519
  • Body photo: JustAnotherCarDesigner (Wikimedia Commons: “Tesla Cybercab 003”, CC0), cropped by The RED Review
  • Cover: AI-generated illustration of a generic driverless car, not a real vehicle, with text by The RED Review

Also in The Brief: Tesla Cybercab customer sales · Tesla Robotaxi: NHTSA’s 36 incidents, mostly low speed · 300+ Cybercabs now serve Austin

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