The Department of Motor Vehicles in the state of California has proposed restrictive regulations on autonomous vehicles, entirely banning driverless cars with no human passengers on board.
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Meanwhile, Uber – whose car-riding app has seen rapid global adoption while also raising the ire of many traditional taxi drivers – is also hard at work to enable autonomous cars, which it sees as the next disruptive innovation in transportation.
Under the new rules, the autonomous vehicles can’t be completely self-driven and will require someone behind the wheels and pedals who can take control of the auto if required.
LICENSED DRIVERS: A licensed driver would have to be ready to take over immediately, should the car’s sensors and computers fail.
A statement from the DMV read: “Given the potential risks associated with deployment of such a new technology, DMV believes that manufacturers need to obtain more experience in testing driverless vehicles on public roads prior to making this technology available to the general public”. However, its November self-driving auto report noted that its vehicle lineup in the San Francisco and Austin test areas now includes 23 Lexus RX450h SUVs and 30 prototype vehicles. Data from that testing will be used to inform future regulation, the DMV said. The vehicles also reportedly have to qualify in a test that will be administered by a third party before being sold.
Google was the first to react to this proposal by saying this would hold back the technology that could prevent auto crashes and would border the mobility of people who cannot drive.
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“Google may be in overdrive in its rush to develop robot cars, but the DMV has admirably served as traffic cop and proposed reasonable limits to protect public safety”, John Simpson, director of consumer watchdog Privacy Project, said, according to the Wall Street Journal. While California law doesn’t now allow general use of self-driving cars on public roads, Google might be able to offer such a service on private properties and college campuses.
