Proposed California law limits self-driving cars, ticks off Google

DMV regulation writers struggled with how they would know the technology is safe before letting it go beyond prototype testing, which requires a specially trained driver behind the wheel.

The DMV says the draft regulations are meant to promote the continued development of autonomous vehicle technology in California, while transitioning manufacturers from testing to deployment of self-driving cars.

Among the rules California is proposing; all cars must have a steering wheel and licensed driver ready to take the wheel.

California’s new rules also say that manufacturers would be required to have a third-party test their autonomous vehicles before they can be approved for use on roads.

“Our Palo Alto team has grown significantly this year, using research and innovation to explore and develop future mobility solutions”, said Ford CEO Mark Fields. This has the California Department of Motor Vehicles anxious about potential misuse (or downright stupidity), so it is likely putting these rules forth in an attempt to protect both the auto owners and others on the road. Safety is our highest priority and primary motivator as we do this.

California’s Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled the framework Wednesday. 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.

Google is now testing their self-driving cars around Austin.

The recommendations come as semi-autonomous features such as adaptive cruise control and emergency braking are increasingly common in new cars and manufacturers are seriously embracing the technology. “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”.

Cortez said Google has not made any attempts yet to get permission for a driverless ride-booking company. The cars have been involved in more than a dozen fender-benders, though the tech firm argues that they are being hit by drivers who are distracted and not paying attention to the roads.

Meanwhile, a consumer group applauded the draft rules as appropriately cautious.

According to Automotive News, this new set of guidelines is based on a law passed by California legislators in 2012, when the DMV was asked to issue rules for driverless cars.

“Driverless vehicles are initially excluded from deployment”, the regulations stated, adding that fully autonomous vehicles would be addressed at some later point in a different set of rules. The DMV will hold public workshops regarding the drafts in Sacramento on January 28 and in Los Angeles on February 2, 2016.

“[The DMV] did exactly what they should do”, said John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog, “which is put the public safety first”.