The Trump administration has announced a significant move to ease regulations on self-driving cars in a bid to enhance the competitiveness of US automakers, particularly against China. Automakers in the United States can now apply for exemptions from specific safety regulations for the purpose of conducting research and demonstrations. Despite this change, requirements for crash reporting will still be in place. This initiative aims to simplify the existing process, which has been criticized by Tesla CEO Elon Musk for being overly complex. The streamlined approach is expected to facilitate innovation and development in the self-driving car industry.