- Intelligent Motorist Alert Messaging System (IMAMS) has asked the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for a five-year exemption to let autonomous trucks use vehicle-mounted LED signs instead of traditional flares or warning triangles when disabled.
- IMAMS promotes the system's potential revenue, noting the LED signs could display ads for nearby businesses, earning up to $300 per truck per month.
- The American Trucking Associations and truck safety advocates oppose the request, citing safety concerns and the lack of real-world data validating the system's effectiveness.
- The Truck Safety Coalition warned the exemption is overly broad, could allow autonomous trucks to operate without established automated driving system standards and may pose risks given drivers' varying English proficiency.
- The agency published a Federal Register notice on Dec. 1 to seek public comments; a decision on IMAMS' exemption has not yet been made.
In a rare show of agreement, truck safety advocates and the trucking industry's largest lobbying group are urging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to reject a technology company's request to replace traditional roadside warning devices with digital messaging systems.
Paul Hutchins, owner of Intelligent Motorist Alert Messaging System (IMAMS), is seeking a five-year exemption from federal safety rules to allow autonomous trucks to use vehicle-mounted LED signs instead of the flares or warning triangles currently required when trucks break down on the road. IMAMS also promotes the potential economic benefits of its system, noting that the same LED signs could display advertisements for nearby hotels, restaurants or fuel stations – generating up to $300 per month per truck in revenue.
However, safety groups and the American Trucking Associations (ATA) have strongly opposed the proposal.
A recipe for disaster?
In comments filed with FMCSA, ATA called the plan "a recipe for disaster," arguing that it prioritizes advertising revenue over roadway safety.
"IMAMS provides no data on how any of their messages, colors or other chosen parameters may perform in an experiment or in the real world," ATA stated. "Without such data, there is little to base a judgment of potential safety benefits."
The group added that safety-critical technologies should never be used for advertising without robust safeguards to ensure they achieve their intended safety purpose.
The Truck Safety Coalition (TSC) also criticized the exemption, noting that because IMAMS is not a carrier, it is impossible to estimate how many trucks would eventually use the technology.
"In essence, a non-carrier is requesting exemption for any future user of its technology and preemptively requesting a regulatory exemption on behalf of the entire industry," TSC said.
TSC further highlighted safety concerns tied to the trucking workforce, including the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) ongoing crackdown on drivers who cannot sufficiently read and understand English road signs. "The idea of utilizing variable messaging signs to warn motorists and other truck drivers of a disabled vehicle in this current operating environment is nonsensical," the group said.
Finally, TSC warned that granting the exemption would effectively approve high-level autonomous trucks without established automated driving system (ADS) performance standards, calling such a move "reckless" and "short-sighted."
A shift toward intelligent transportation systems
According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, replacement of traditional roadside warning devices with digital messaging systems is part of a broader shift toward intelligent transportation systems (ITS). These digital systems, such as variable message signs (VMS) and dynamic message signs (DMS), use electronic displays to provide real-time, context-specific information to drivers.
The transition aims to enhance traffic safety, reduce congestion and improve overall mobility by enabling rapid communication of critical information, such as incident reports, roadwork notifications and weather alerts.
The call for rejection comes after the FMCSA published a notice in the Federal Register to seek public comment on Dec. 1.
"FMCSA requests public comment on an application for a five-year exemption submitted by Intelligent Motorist Alert Messaging Systems (IMAMS). The applicant seeks an exemption for autonomous commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) from the regulation that requires the use of traditional warning devices to alert other vehicles when the CMV has become disabled. The exemption would allow autonomous CMVs to use IMAMS dynamic digital LED messaging platform as an alternative to traditional warning devices. FMCSA requests public comment on IMAMS's application," the FMCSA wrote.
But as of writing, the FMCSA has yet to decide on the IMAMS exemption request.
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