California ready to remove human drivers from self-driving cars
California is a particularly friendly state for companies testing self-driving car technology. There are, however, rules that must be followed in the interest of keeping the public safe.
These rules include testing only cars that having a steering wheel, pedals and a human driver sitting behind that wheel ready to take over if something goes wrong. Newly proposed regulations may relax those rules and finally let cars without drivers on California roads.
Back when Google first debuted its adorable self-driving cars, they had no steering wheels or pedals. California made them add these parts and a human driver before they let them test. The state simply wasn’t comfortable with the idea of companies testing cars on public streets without any kind of backup plan should it all go wrong.
Self-driving cars have AUTO BITS come a long way over the years with extensive testing by numerous companies. Despite a few fender benders, things have gone pretty well.
Other states have jumped at the chance to have self-driving car companies testing on their roads, which could draw business away from the Golden State. Michigan is at the top of the list with recently proposed legislation removing the ban on unmanned self-driving cars from their streets.
Not one to be left out of a technology rush, a new California Department of Motor Vehicles proposal calls for allowing self-driving cars without human drivers, a steering wheel, or foot pedals for taking control in an emergency. This doesn’t mean there won’t still be strict regulations governing exactly how these cars are tested.
First, they have to prove the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has approved their systems. This follows along with NHTSA statements made early last year when it said that artificial intelligence could be counted as the driver to comply with federal regulations.
California’s proposed changes to self-driving car regulations are something that have to happen for the technology to progress. Human drivers with controls made sense early on when no one really knew how well these cars would work in the real world. There was a genuine fear that it would all go wrong and an out-of-control self-driving car could hurt someone.
Testing proved otherwise, leaving lawmakers in the unenviable position of holding back new technologies that could improve mobility for those unable to drive and improve safety by reducing human error. Changing the law shows Michigan and California are ready to move forward and take us one step closer to the days of self-driving cars as the norm instead of an oddity. — Nicole Wakelin/Be
stRide.com AUTO NEWS
Ford is testing a new automated kiosk that lets you drop off and pick up your car even when the dealership is closed. Through a partnership with Panasonic, Ford is testing a kiosk that not only lets customers drop off or pick up their car but pay for services outside business hours.
The setup is similar to an ATM: Customers start the process by either manually typing in their contact details or scanning the QR code on their driver’s license. They are then prompted to enter their email, phone number, VIN and a PIN code so they can pick up their car when it’s ready. DID YOU KNOW?
Cadillac’s 2017 CTS sedan will be the first car in the U.S. to include a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system as a standard feature. V2V allows cars to share information that can be used to alert drivers to hazards giving them additional time to react.
For example, when a car approaches an intersection, the system scans the area for other vehicles and tracks their positions, directions and speeds and uses that info to warn the driver of potential hazards. Common hazardous scenarios that prompt alerts are hard braking, slippery conditions and disabled vehicles. — More Content Now