Google ‘disappointed’ by California’s self-driving cars draft regs

Google is “gravely disappointed” with the proposed rules for self-driving cars from California regulators. The operator will also be responsible for safe operation of the vehicle and any traffic tickets.

According to reports, the system would have a range of large and small vehicles that would most likely start operating in small contained areas like school campuses.

The proposed regulations require certification and third-party testing for carmakers, as well as regular reports back to the DMV for a period of three years.

BMW, Volkswagen, Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Tesla, suppliers Bosch and Delphi, Google and Cruise Automation, all have been granted permission to test their fully-autonomous cars on the public roads of California.

As per the latest set of proposed regulations, the California DMV says that self-driving automobiles must always have a licensed driver present in the vehicle at all times.

Manufacturers are also required to disclose the data they collect, other than from safety systems, and obtain approval to collect it. Concerns that self-driving cars could be a way for major data collectors like Google to collect information on consumers have fueled privacy concerns.

California’s go-slow approach could benefit Texas, which this summer emerged as a competitor in the deployment of self-driving cars when officials in the capital city of Austin welcomed Google prototypes for company-sponsored testing. They’ll also need to provide a written disclosure to operators of the cars outlining the data that they’ll be collecting. It sounds reasonable on the surface, but from Google’s vantage point, the DMV is essentially placing a ceiling on autonomous driving technology.

The combination of electric powertrains, ride sharing, and autonomous driving are seen as a powerful force for change by many analysts. For now the DMV isn’t allowing automated cars that don’t have a human driver, even though Google Inc.is building one that’s created to work without a person behind the wheel. But that, as with all technology, is expected to improve with more research.

“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% 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”, Google spokesman Johnny Luu, said in an emailed statement to TechCrunch. Around the same time, Google/Alphabet co-founder Sergey Brin said self-driving cars could be introduced first as a service, to get people used to the technology.

The workshops will be held in Sacramento on January 28, 2016, and in Los Angeles on February 2, 2016.