How NHTSA’s FMVSS 135 proposal redefines brake validation

On June 26, 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that will dismantle a 31-year-old assumption embedded in federal safety compliance: that every light vehicle on US roads has a physical brake pedal awaiting a human foot. The landmark proposal explicitly amends Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135 (Light…