Under the proposed regulations, any automated cars on the road in the USA state would have to have a steering wheel and pedals. Also included is the stipulation that the self-driving vehicles cannot be sold directly; they must be leased by prospective consumers instead, something that could be a small hindrance for some users. 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.
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In addition to public workshops meant to gather input from industry, consumer and public interest groups, academics, and the general population, DMV officials have asked California Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH), a research program of UC Berkeley, to conduct a peer review of the behavioral competencies necessary to safely operate autonomous vehicles. Uber, the controversial hire a auto via app service, is also researching AI and autonomous technologies for use in vehicles, having recently awarded Carnergie Mellon University $5.5 million to help research self-driving vehicles.
Google is not the only company considering the applications of autonomous vehicle fleets.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles released on Wednesday a proposal regulating self-driving vehicles.
A public consultation on the draft will take place in the new year.
Whether they’re converted Toyota Prius hybrids or purpose-built electric pod cars, Google’s self-driving cars have become a familiar sight on the road, and the Internet. “The draft regulations exclude autonomous vehicles that are capable of operating without the presence of a driver”, according to the new law (read the full document here).
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.
California’s DMV has said it wanted regulations to protect public safety, but not be so onerous that they would stifle development of a technology that could prove safer than human drivers.
In response to a DMV statement that “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”, Luu said that “safety is our highest priority and primary motivator as we do this”.
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California issued its first permit for testing an autonomous vehicle on its public roads to Audi in last September. Those collisions have been minor, and the tech giants says each has been caused by drivers of other cars.
