【U.S. Eases Autonomous Vehicle Safety Requirements】According to Caixin, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that it will ease some safety requirements for autonomous vehicles developed and manufactured by U.S. manufacturers in order to accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicles and enhance competitiveness. Under the new rules, if autonomous vehicles are used for research, demonstration, and other non-commercial purposes, U.S. automakers can apply to bypass certain safety regulations. Autonomous vehicles will no longer need to comply with some previous federal safety requirements designed for human drivers, such as the installation of rearview mirrors. Additionally, the threshold for reporting property damage in accidents involving autonomous vehicles will be raised if the incidents are not severe. The Department of Transportation also plans to develop national regulations for autonomous technology to replace the current fragmented state-by-state approach.