The proposed regulations call for a licensed driver to be in a self-driving vehicle and able to take control in the event of a technology failure or other emergency.
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California’s Department of Motor Vehicles doesn’t have that confidence just yet. The DMV can change the rules over the coming months before they are finalized, and the industry is sure to contest them as overly burdensome.
But the draft rules published on Wednesday don’t go as far as some companies might have hoped. Michigan, Nevada, and Texas already allow for the testing of these self-driving cars on their roads but none have provided any guidance on how consumer use of these technologies should be governed.
The draft rules pose a potential problem for Alphabet Inc. and its emerging self-driving vehicle business. Auto makers would only be allowed to lease driverless cars, as opposed to selling them outright. Manufacturers must disclose to the operator if information is collected, other than the information needed to safely operate the vehicle.
“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”, the agency wrote. “The whole guiding principle to us in mulling out these regulations is ensuring, as the statute requires us to do, is ensuring the vehicles are safe for deployment on California streets”. “Due to the size of these vehicles, DMV believes that public safety is best served by initially limiting deployment to passenger vehicles”, the department said in a statement. That’s a nod to privacy advocates who worry the cars will be used to track where drivers go, what they do inside the auto and the like. Boosters say the technology could prevent numerous more than 32,000 deaths on USA roads each year. Most autonomous cars use LIDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors on the roof to produce an accurate, laser scan of the surroundings. Many also rely on maps that detail everything from curb heights to the exact placement of lane stripes. Eleven companies have been approved to test robot cars on California’s highways. Those collisions have been minor and the tech giants says each has been caused by drivers of other cars.
The idea is for this regulatory framework to stay in place from current prototype tests through a transition to broader consumer use, since companies like Google and Tesla are promising customer-ready models within a few years. But Tesla has said regulations-or a lack of them-could hinder widespread use of the technology.
The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled precedent-setting draft regulations Wednesday. Under California’s proposed rules, autonomous vehicles would be required to have a steering wheel and pedals in order to be licensed to drive on the state’s roads.
Google spokesman Johnny Luu said the company was “gravely disappointed” by the draft regulations. Safety is our highest priority and primary motivator as we do this.
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John Simpson, privacy project director at Consumer Watchdog, approves of the DMV’s cautious approach. The proposed DMV regulations may affect plans for San Francisco.
