The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is holding talks with General Motors (NYSE:GM) on the company's request to deploy a limited number of self-driving vehicles without steering wheels or other human controls, acting agency head James Owens tells Reuters.
• The NHTSA aims to make a decision soon on GM's petition as well as a request by Softbank-backed (OTCPK:SFTBY) startup Nuro to deploy a limited number of low-speed, highly automated delivery vehicles without human occupants, Owens says, adding action "definitely" would happen next year.
• NHTSA officials are "crawling through these petitions because we want to make sure" they are at least as safe as cars already on the roads, according to Owens