Mercedes-Benz Granted Permits For Automated Driving Marker Lights in California, Nevada

Mercedes-Benz has received exclusive permits from the states of California and Nevada for distinctive exterior marker lights for easier identification of the use of its automated driving systems. The California permit, initially limited to a two-year testing phase, authorises the use of special marker lights to enhance the visibility of automated driving systems. The Nevada permit, meanwhile, extends to Mercedes-Benz's model year 2026 production vehicles, granting validity for the use of the tech in production cars until statutory amendments are established with the state legislature.

Mercedes’ test vehicles will come fitted with turquoise marker lights integrated into the exterior light clusters including the turn signals on the wing mirrors. The use of the colour is for three reasons - superior visibility for other road users, distinctiveness from existing vehicle lighting, and minimal potential for confusion with standard traffic signals or emergency lights.

Mercedes says that the new marker lights system will serve a dual purpose: amplify public acceptance of automated driving and bolster road safety by visually communicating the status of the automated driving system on the vehicle's exterior.

These marker lights will be used by vehicles equipped with Mercedes’ Drive Pilot Level 3 autonomous driving function. The system, which was certified in Germany in 2021, allows drivers to be able to take there hands off the steering wheel and focus on secondary activities in the cabin in certain driving scenarios.

Mercedes-Benz says that it will push for making the use of turquoise marker lights an internationally recognised feature of its vehicles with level 3 or higher autonomous driving functions. Presently there is no comprehensive framework in the U.S and China, or the UN-ECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) for using turquoise lights in production vehicles.

Written by: RONIT AGARWAL