Technology Some robotaxis approved to operate without steering wheels and losing the brake pedal could be next Most vehicle safety regulations were written decades ago, always with the assumption that there would be a human driver behind the wheel. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) APFederal regulators are clearing the way for robotaxis to operate without steering wheels or eventually even brake pedals as the rules start to catch up to the evolving technology. Advertisement:Most vehicle safety regulations were written decades ago, always with the assumption that there would be a human driver behind the wheel. But Morrison said that things like steering wheels, windshield wipers and side-view mirrors aren’t really needed in an autonomous vehicle. Advertisement:Most companies don’t report how many miles their autonomous vehicles drove, which makes it impossible to calculate a crash rate, according to the IIHS.