California proposes drivers, steering wheels for driver-less cars
17 Dec 2015
Autonomous, or driver-less cars had been under testing in California for some time and state regulators are now considering their eventual deployment.
A new law proposed by the state's, Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), yesterday would require all autonomous cars to have a steering wheel and a licensed driver behind the wheel.
Under the proposed law, manufacturers of self-driving cars would be granted a three-year deployment permit, whereby they could lease cars to customers, but not sell them. 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.
Manufacturers would also need to report driving data on cars they leased to the public, and also notify the DMV if they collected any data beyond what was required to operate the car.
California, which is already the largest car market in the US, could also become the US centre for self-driving car research, with 11 companies testing self-driving cars on its roads, AP reported. The DMV is looking to ensure that self-driving cars were safe when they finally reached the general public.
According to commentators, the rules had the potential to be precedent-setting, as California was the only US state to draft a proposal of the kind.
Meanwhile, the state's proposal received a cold reception in some interested quarters.
Disappointment at Google was reflected in an emailed statement, the company sent to TechCrunch, ''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 car. Safety is our highest priority and primary motivator as we do this. We're gravely disappointed that California is already writing a ceiling on the potential for fully self-driving cars to help all of us who live here.''
Commentators point out however, the regulation might be a good thing in the long run.
They say even with the high safety rate, there are sure going to be some unforeseen scenarios without a unified and open-source driver-less car code-base shared by all driver-less car manufacturers, something that is currently not available.
