Calif. governor signs driverless cars bill
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Tuesday that will pave the way for driverless cars in California.
The bill by Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla will establish safety and performance regulations to test and operate autonomous vehicles on state roads and highways.
The governor signed it at the Mountain View headquarters of Google Inc., which has been developing autonomous car technology and lobbying for the regulations.
Self-driving cars might sound like science fiction, but they are already cruising California's roads and could become sold commercially within the next decade.
Google's fleet of a dozen computer-controlled vehicles — mostly Toyota Priuses equipped with self-driving technology — has logged more than 300,000 miles of self-driving without an accident, the company said.
Autonomous cars use computers, sensors and other technology to operate independently, but a "driver" can override the autopilot function and take control of the vehicle at any time.
With smartphone-wielding drivers more distracted than ever, backers say robotic vehicles have the potential to make roads significantly safer, noting that nearly all car accidents are a result of human error.
The legislation requires the California Department of Motor Vehicles to draft regulations for autonomous vehicles by Jan. 1, 2015. Currently, state law doesn't mention self-driving cars because the technology is so new.
The regulations would allow vehicles to operate autonomously, but a licensed driver would still need to sit behind the wheel to serve as a backup operator in case of emergency.
The legislation is also aimed at keeping California at the forefront of the autonomous car industry since Stanford University and Silicon Valley companies have been working on the technology for years.
In February, Nevada became the first U.S. state to approve regulations spelling out requirements for companies to test driverless cars on that state's roads.
In recent years, automakers have been introducing autonomous functions such as self-parking, lane departure warnings and adaptive cruise-control, which allows vehicles to automatically accelerate and decelerate with the flow of traffic.
Carmakers such as Audi AG, BMW AG, Ford Motor Co. and Volvo have been working on autonomous car technology for years, and experts say commercial vehicles could feature an "autopilot" function in as few as five years.
The bill by Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla will establish safety and performance regulations to test and operate autonomous vehicles on state roads and highways.
The governor signed it at the Mountain View headquarters of Google Inc., which has been developing autonomous car technology and lobbying for the regulations.
Self-driving cars might sound like science fiction, but they are already cruising California's roads and could become sold commercially within the next decade.
Google's fleet of a dozen computer-controlled vehicles — mostly Toyota Priuses equipped with self-driving technology — has logged more than 300,000 miles of self-driving without an accident, the company said.
Autonomous cars use computers, sensors and other technology to operate independently, but a "driver" can override the autopilot function and take control of the vehicle at any time.
With smartphone-wielding drivers more distracted than ever, backers say robotic vehicles have the potential to make roads significantly safer, noting that nearly all car accidents are a result of human error.
The legislation requires the California Department of Motor Vehicles to draft regulations for autonomous vehicles by Jan. 1, 2015. Currently, state law doesn't mention self-driving cars because the technology is so new.
The regulations would allow vehicles to operate autonomously, but a licensed driver would still need to sit behind the wheel to serve as a backup operator in case of emergency.
The legislation is also aimed at keeping California at the forefront of the autonomous car industry since Stanford University and Silicon Valley companies have been working on the technology for years.
In February, Nevada became the first U.S. state to approve regulations spelling out requirements for companies to test driverless cars on that state's roads.
In recent years, automakers have been introducing autonomous functions such as self-parking, lane departure warnings and adaptive cruise-control, which allows vehicles to automatically accelerate and decelerate with the flow of traffic.
Carmakers such as Audi AG, BMW AG, Ford Motor Co. and Volvo have been working on autonomous car technology for years, and experts say commercial vehicles could feature an "autopilot" function in as few as five years.
So I remember this SiFi short story from many years ago. This family had gotten into their robotic car to go somewhere. As they were being driven, the car pulled in to a station for service. There was nothing they could do but go along. The car opened the doors to allow them out to stretch their legs while being serviced. Another car pulled in, but no one got out. They walked over and looked inside. There was a whole mummified family strapped in as they had been for perhaps years. The car just kept driving, stopping for robotic service and continuing on. Just a small computer glitch I guess. The family left their car and took a bus. Although this does not do the writer justice, you get the point. :~}Â
Even with their 300,000 miles logged, they aren't anywhere near the level of interpretive control for widespread use. Many of those test miles are just that. Tests on empty roads, set up traffic, and other base parameters. Slalom control and braking in an empty parking lot at Google is nothing. Let's see the top executives try an average run into Sacramento from North Highlands at evening rush peak.
Why not? The way the average motor vehicle is being operated, there can't be any intelligent life behind the wheel anyway.
... and we all know that computers never make mistakes.
 @Moderate Joe They don't. It's the humans who programmed them that made the mistakes. The question is whether the Google engineers are better at creating autonomous cars than human drivers are at driving.Â