WASHINGTON — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Wednesday issued its first exemption for a driverless vehicle made in the United States.

As part of its recently expanded Automated Vehicle Exemption Program, Amazon’s robotaxi company Zoox is allowed to operate its vehicles on public roads in the states that allow it despite their lack of traditional driving controls such as a brake pedal and steering wheel.

“This is a win-win for safety and innovation,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement Wednesday.

The exemption was granted through an April expansion of a program NHTSA initially launched in 2021 to create a new regulatory framework for self-driving cars. The AV framework Duffy introduced earlier this year is designed to prioritize safety, increase

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