NEWS: Japan's MLIT to approve "steering-wheel-free" autonomous vehicles across the board from December. • Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) is considering blanket approval of driverless vehicles that have no steering wheel or brake pedal. • It plans to revise its vehicle safety standards and apply the new rules from December. • The aim is to support mass production, with the spread of robotaxis in mind. • The rules cover Level 4 vehicles, which drive fully autonomously under specific conditions, and Level 5 vehicles, which are fully autonomous everywhere. • Until now, each vehicle's safety has been certified case by case. • The plan will be discussed at the ministry's vehicle safety committee meeting on the 4th. Source: Nikkei