Mercedes-Benz has become the first automotive manufacturer to receive nationwide approval in Germany for special marker lights designed for automated driving. Granted for testing purposes, this approval is valid until July 2028 and reinforces Germany’s leadership in autonomous vehicle regulation—having been the first country to permit conditionally automated driving (SAE Level 3). Mercedes-Benz capitalized on this progress, securing the world’s first internationally valid type approval for conditionally automated driving with DRIVE PILOT in 2021.
The newly approved exterior lighting system signals to other road users when the conditionally automated driving function is active, allowing traffic authorities and police to easily verify system status and determine if the driver is permitted to engage in other activities. These special marker lights, integrated into the front and rear lights as well as the exterior mirror indicators, illuminate continuously in turquoise when DRIVE PILOT is engaged—a color Mercedes-Benz aims to standardize for conditionally automated and higher-level autonomous driving.
Turquoise has already been incorporated into multiple industry standards and draft regulations (SAE J3134, UNECE, and China Compulsory Certification) due to its distinctiveness from existing vehicle lighting and traffic signals, minimizing confusion while ensuring high visibility. Studies confirm that turquoise is the optimal color for automated driving, outperforming other options in both physiological and psychological recognition tests.
The development and approval of this lighting concept involved collaboration among engineers, compliance managers, data protection officers, and ethics experts, marking a significant step toward safer and more transparent automated driving systems.
