Cars without human drivers will be allowed on California streets by early spring.
Long-awaited state regulations for autonomous cars without drivers may be approved Monday by a legal compliance agency, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles, which submitted the rules to the Office of Administrative Law on January 11.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles will allow autonomous cars without pedals, mirrors, and human drivers behind the wheel on the state roads soon.
California is a magnet for robot-car development, with more than 50 companies testing 387 autonomous cars. All the vehicles are required to have a backup driver ready to take the wheel while driving on public roads.
This is a significant step toward an autonomous future in California and signals that the Golden State is interested in leading by example in the implementation of autonomous cars, Sarah Abboud, Uber spokeswoman, commented in an email. The ride-hailing company operates autonomous taxis with backup drivers in Pittsburgh and Arizona. In addition, it tests autonomous cars in San Francisco with backup drivers but without passengers. Uber didn’t give further information on whether it would apply for a no-driver permit.
Even car manufacturers like Lyft, which tests autonomous taxis in Boston and other cities, say they are encouraged by the California regulations evolution.
According to spokeswoman Jessica Gonzalez, after a 30-day public notice period, during which companies can apply for permits to test the cars, California would begin issuing permits early April.
