“In developing vehicles that can take anyone from A to B at the push of a button, we’re hoping to transform mobility for millions of people, whether by reducing the 94 per cent of accidents caused by human error or bringing everyday destinations within reach of those who might otherwise be excluded by their inability to drive a auto”.
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California, where innovative technology tends to hit the roads before most other places, ruled on Wednesday that self-driving cars must have a licensed driver in them in case of emergencies.
Under the proposal, a three-year deployment permit will be granted to the manufacturers of self-driving cars, to enable them to lease their cars to customers, but not sell them. The operator will also be responsible for safe operation of the vehicle and any traffic tickets.
Volvo plans to have 100 fully autonomous cars on the road in Sweden by 2017 as part of a pilot program, and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk recently posted on his Twitter page that engineers applying for positions on Tesla’s Autopilot autonomous driving system would report directly to Musk, adding, “This is a super high priority”.
John Simpson, director of the Consumer Watchdog Privacy Project, told us that California’s draft rules “struck a real balance between encouraging innovation and putting public safety foremost in mind”. They have to go through a rule-making process that is expected to take at least half a year, so they aren’t likely to become law until the second half of 2016.
Earlier this year, the company announced a partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, which calls itself “the birthplace of self-driving or autonomous vehicle technology”.
There are already just over 100 autonomous driving prototypes on the streets in California. There have been scattered collisions, almost all involving Google cars. California is the largest carmaker in the United States, and its industry for autonomous vehicle technology is growing quickly. Most autonomous cars use LIDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors on the roof to produce an accurate, laser scan of the surroundings. Apple is also rumored to be interested in driverless auto technology. That means the cars are restricted in autonomous mode to premapped roads.
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The DMV is holding consultation meetings on 28 January in Sacramento and 2 February in LA.
