California approves self-driving cars on public roads

23 May 2014

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With the approval of new rules governing the testing of autonomous vehicles on public roads, by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV),  the state has become one of the first states to adopt a formal policy on self-driving cars, The Register reported.

California governor Jerry Brown gave autonomous vehicles the go ahead in 2012, with a legislation he signed off allowing self-driving cars on public roads starting in 2015. However these had to be certified for safety.

However, till now there had been no clear legal guidelines for automakers regarding testing their vehicles.

This however, did not come in the way of Google, which had been sending its prototype robo-cars around California streets since at least 2010. However, several other manufacturers are now keen to get into the autonomous car business too, including Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Toyota.

The new rules, which the California DMV adopted Monday, require automakers to clear a number of hurdles before getting the go-ahead to take to the state's roads, and doing so would not be easy.

Companies would need to register with the state before they could test their cars. The process would include identification of the specific make, model, model year, vehicle identification number, and license plate number of each vehicle to be tested.

Every car would need to have a driver sitting in the driver's seat during testing, who could take over control of the vehicle were something to go wrong. Only drivers who had been identified by the DMV in writing could operate the cars, and those drivers would need to have completed a training programme established by the manufacturer.

The approval of the new rules, set to take effect statewide on 16 September came just months after the DMV held a public hearing, in January, to debate the use of self-driving cars on California streets, according to a report by Ars Technica.

Under the newly-adopted regulations companies would be required to apply for a designated testing permit and obtain a $5 million insurance bond for protection, according to Ars Technica.

The DMV would also require that researchers undergo training and complete a certification programme; and the vehicle operators would need to remain in the driver's seat for the duration of the test drives.

Bryant Walker Smith, a fellow at the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS), told Ars Technica, as automated systems got more complex human understanding also got more complex. He  said training became even more important, and it would also be important for general users.

If a driverless car was involved in an accident on the road, the mishap would be required to be reported to the DMV within 10 days, according to the new rules.

Operators would also need to report to the DMV if a car's self-driving functions were disengaged for any safety reasons.

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