GOOGLE KICKS AGAINST DRIVERLESS CAR LAWS

 
Google has kicked against the regulations of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in
California for insisting driverless cars must have a fully licensed driver behind the wheel.

On Wednesday, the Department of Motor Vehicles published draft regulations which outline how the Google driverless car technology could be used on the roads.

The regulations say truly driverless cars would be "initially excluded" from operation.


Chris Urmson, Google's director of self-driving cars, argues through his blog that the move was "perplexing". He maintains that
"California seemed to shrink back from its leadership: the CA DMV proposed a draft rule that would require a self-driving car to have a licensed driver at all times. This maintains the same old status quo and falls short of allowing this technology to reach its full potential, while excluding those who need to get around but cannot drive. While we’re disappointed by this, we will continue to work with the DMV as they seek feedback in the coming months, in the hope that we can recapture the original spirit of the bill."

"We've heard countless stories from people who need a fully self-driving car today. People with health conditions ranging from vision problems to multiple sclerosis to autism to epilepsy who are frustrated with their dependence on others for even simple errands." Chris Urmson said.

 

DRIVERLESS CAR MUCH SAFER THAN MANUAL DRIVING CAR

Google argues that driverless cars are much safer than manually driven cars, because they eliminate the human error that causes the majority of collisions on the road.

Google said its vehicles had been involved in only 16 minor incidents during six years of testing, with human drivers in other cars usually to blame.

"We've seen in our own testing that drivers can't be trusted to dip in and out of the task of driving when the car is encouraging them to sit back and relax," said Mr. Urmson.
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Meanwhile, DMV has said that "the draft regulations are designed to address complex questions related to vehicle safety, certification, operator responsibilities, licensing and registration, privacy, and cyber security.

 

"The draft regulations' would prevent residents from riding in those vehicles until their safety could be assessed in subsequent regulatory packages."

A public consultation on the draft will take place in the new year.