San Francisco, Mar 13 (IANS): The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened the door for self-driving vehicles to operate without manual controls under updated Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

While fully autonomous vehicles are likely several years away from going on sale, the new rule paves the way for automakers to remove the steering wheel and pedals, reports Engadget.

"Through the 2020s, an important part of [the Department of Transportation's] safety mission will be to ensure safety standards keep pace with the development of automated driving and driver assistance systems," transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg was quoted as saying.

"This new rule is an important step, establishing robust safety standards for [Automated Driving Systems]-equipped vehicles," Buttigieg added.

The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards regulate all elements of production cars, as Roadshow notes.

The latest rule stipulates that whether or not they have a steering wheel and pedals, vehicles with automated driving systems need to offer the same level of protection to drivers and passengers as other cars.

NHTSA acknowledged uncertainty about the development and deployment of vehicles equipped with ADS.

"Nevertheless, NHTSA believes it is appropriate to finalise this action at this time in anticipation of emerging ADS vehicle designs that NHTSA has seen in prototype form," the agency said.