Uber gets DMV permit to test self-driving cars on state’s roads

The California Department of Motor Vehicles on Wednesday issued a permit to Uber that allows the company to test self-driving cars on public roads across the state.

The permit issuance comes almost two years after a self-driving car that Uber was testing struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona. Uber scaled back much of its self-driving efforts after that incident.

The DMV said that it granted the permit to Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group after the company “fulfilled all the requirements to receive a permit to test autonomous vehicles in California with a safety driver behind the wheel.” The DMV also said that Uber presented documentation that showed changes it made to its autonomous vehicle testing program and testing guidelines.

Uber said that even though it has the permit to test self-driving cars in California, it isn’t in a hurry to put its cars on the state’s roads, including in San Francisco, where it had done some testing prior to 2018’s fatal accident in Arizona.

“San Francisco is a great city to gather key learnings for self-driving technology given it’s complex and ever changing environment,” an

Uber spokesperson said in a statement. “While we do not have an update as to exactly when we’ll resume autonomous testing, receiving our testing permit through the California DMV is a critical step towards that end in Uber’s home city.”

As part of the permit, the DMV said that Uber will be required to have a backup driver in the driver seat of any vehicles it tests in California. The company is also required to certify that all testing drivers have completed a training program, maintain a clean driving record and that all vehicles have been tested under controlled conditions that simulate where the vehicle is expected to operate. Uber is also required to submit an annual report that includes instances of when self-driving technology was disengaged during testing, and deliver any reports about vehicle collisions to the DMV within 10 days of any such incident.

The DMV said that Uber is now the 66th company to receive a permit for testing self-driving cars with a driver in the vehicle in California.

JEFF SWENSEN — THE NEW YORK TIMES ARCHIVES Uber says that even though it has the permit to test self-driving cars in California, it isn’t in a hurry to put its cars on the state’s roads.