The rules also require that a human driver still be present.
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Self-driving cars are already being tested in California by Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Google, Delphi Automotive, Tesla Motors, Bosch, Nissan, Cruise Automation, BMW, Honda, and most recently, Ford, which this week obtained the permit necessary to let its fully autonomous Ford Fusion Hybrid (pictured) loose on California’s public roads.
The DMV says the “draft regulations are meant to promote the continued development of autonomous vehicle technology in California, while transitioning manufacturers from testing to deployment of self-driving cars”.
As now conceived, driverless cars would be required to have a steering wheel, pedals, and a licensed driver behind the wheel in case something goes awry.
California issued its first permit for testing an autonomous vehicle on its public roads to Audi in last September. Before leasing self-driving cars to the public, manufacturers would need to verify safety and allow their products to be tested by a third-party.
The thing about regulations is that, unlike laws. they can be changed as conditions and politics warrant, so whatever the DMV does this year can be modified down the road as autonomous cars are perfected. Manufacturers must also disclose to the operator if data other than the information needed to safely operate the vehicle is collected. “The regulations are in draft form and they will evolve as we get input”.
The DMV is hosting two upcoming workshops, meant to gather input from industry, consumer and public interest groups, academics, and local motorists. According to a strongly-worded official reaction from the company, a few of the restrictions being imposed could hinder its plans of eventually transforming the way people commute on a daily basis by rolling out a fully autonomous vehicle that will not require any human intervention to move from point A to point B, even through heavy city traffic. Autonomous vehicles will be equipped with self-diagnostic capabilities that detect and respond to cyber-attacks or other unauthorized intrusions, alert the operator and allow for an operator override.
The most surprising aspect of this law is the requirement of a licensed, autonomous-certified driver in the vehicle at all times. As part of the licensing, they will be required to report regularly on the performance, safety and usage of their vehicles.
“The primary focus of the deployment regulations is the safety of autonomous vehicles and the safety of the public who will share the road with these vehicles”, DMV director Jean Shiomoto wrote in Wednesday’s statement. The proposed DMV regulations may affect plans for San Francisco. The workshops will be held in Sacramento on January 28, 2016, and in Los Angeles on February 2, 2016.
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The full text of the draft regulations can be found on the California DMV website.
