Governor Rick Snyder approved a legislation that will allow Michigan to be the first state to test and sell self-driving cars. The law will allow the testing of cars that lack a steering wheel or brake pedal.
Companies like Ford, Fiat Chrysler, and Uber came together to help form the legislation. Once the technology is properly tested and secured, the self-driving vehicles can be sold. Google and Ford, which are part of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets, are just a few companies who want the government to release a better set of rules on the testing of self-driving.
Meanwhile, this September the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked states create rules for self-driving vehicles. NHTSA requested auto companies to come up with a fifteen-point system that will guarantee the safety of the upcoming technology. This request was contradicted by the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets who said in a statement that they wanted to keep the “state and local policymakers from pursuing their own rules and contributing to an inconsistent patchwork of regulations.”
The California DMV had rules that allowed self-driving cars on the road as long as there was a driver in the front seat. The new legislation that allows the testing of driverless cars is a win for Google who has been pushing for driverless cars on the road. Google’s disapproval of the DMV laws caused the DMV to review the law in October and have yet to be officially finalized.
With the American Center for Mobility’s 335 acres and the University of Michigan’s 32 acres, both set aside for the testing of self-driving cars, it’s evident that Michigan is more than ready for the future of self-driving cars.
Comment Template