Whether you think self-driven vehicles are a good idea or not, get ready. They may be making their way to roads near you sooner than you think.
The San Francisco Business Times reported that self-driving vehicles without any backup drivers can hit the road as soon as April, if the Office of Administrative Laws (OAL) approves it Monday.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles sent out the regulations to OAL on Jan. 11 and they are expecting a response from them on Feb. 26.
If approved, the state of California will be able to issue permits as soon as April 2 for fully driverless vehicles that will no longer require a driver to be present in case something goes wrong.
According to the Business Times, 50 companies, including General Motors-owned Cruise, Google’s Waymo, Lyft and Uber, currently have permits to test self-driving vehicles on California roads with a driver present. It is those companies that are most likely to benefit from this new permit, if approved.
Before giving companies the go-ahead, the DMV must certify the vehicle is completely capable of operating on its own and certify it meets federal safety standards.
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