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The Feds Will Have Rules for Self-Driving Cars in the Next 6 Months, Called “Aggressive and Ambitious” U.S. highway safety officials plan to take several steps this year to clear the way for autonomous vehicles—including those designed to operate without a driver—to hit the streets in Southeastern Edition large numbers. U.S. Transportation Secretary of TransFlorida SecretaryVirginia portation Anthony Georgia Tennessee Foxx announced Alabama the North Carolina moves at the auto show, Mississippi Detroit South Carolina part of an effort to Anthony Foxx remove the obstacles posed by current auto safety reg-
VOL. 34 ISSUE 2 FEBRUARY 2016
Google Seeks Help From Automakers For Its Autonomous Car Project
ulations, many of which were written The search engine giant’s autonomous more than 50 years ago. automobile, also known as the Google Foxx also announced that Presiself-driving car project, has been getdent Obama has proposed spending ting smarter and safer as the company nearly $4 billion on autonomous vehifurther develops it. However, seeing cle pilot projects as part of the presithat there is no such thing as too safe dent’s broader effort to upgrade the when it comes to the traffic, Google is country’s transportation infrastructure. seeking some help from traditional Foxx announced that he’s giving automobile manufacturers. the DOT six months to draft compre‘We are going to need a lot of hensive rules governing how auhelp, and In the next stages of our tonomous cars should be tested and project, we’re going to be partnering regulated. Thewww.autobodynews.com feds are also planning to more and more for sure,’ said head of fund new projects: President Obama’s Google’s self-driving car project and 2017 budget proposal includes nearly former Hyundai CEO John Krafcik at the Automotive News World ConSee Federal Rules, Page 19
gress. ‘We hope to work with many of you guys.’ This may also confirm previous reports that the search engine giant is partnering with reputable automaker Ford in making a self-driving car. Should the reported deal pushes through, reports claim that Ford would be developing the basic software as well as components, and Google, on the other hand, will be focusing on the car’s “smarts” while the manufacturing difficulties will be offloaded to a company that is expert on the field. According to a report submitted
In a statement on December 16, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto said the agency’s main concern is “the safety of autonomous vehicles and the safety of the public who will share the road with these vehicles.”
mail. ”We’re gravely disappointed that California is already writing a ceiling on the potential for fully self-driving cars to help all of us who live here.” The proposal stems from a law, passed in 2012 by California legislators, ordering the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to issue rules for the testing and use of autonomous vehicles. The DMV already has completed testing rules that require experimental vehicles to be operated by trained test drivers and to have a steering wheel when operated on public roads. The newest rules would effectively block the commercial deployment of “driverless” cars, which could
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California DMV Proposes Ban on Cars With No Drivers, All Vehicles to be Steerable, Google Objects
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The Guilt of the Self-Driving Car
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California regulators, calling for cauNortheastern Edition tion on self-driving cars, on December 16 proposed rules that would sharply restrict their use on the state’s roads—and place an outright ban on Maryland New York “driverless” cars that travel with no Connecticut Delaware humans onboard. Under the proposal by the CaliRhode Island New Jersey fornia Department of Motor Vehicles, Pennsylvania Massachusetts all autonomous cars would need a steering wheel and pedals when operating on California’s public roads. Behind the controls, they would need a licensed driver with an “autonomous vehicle operator certificate” capable of taking control if something goes awry.
and automakers such as MercedesBenz and Tesla, to look beyond California for their first deployment of self-driving cars. This summer, Google started testing its self-driving cars in Austin, Texas, where a culture of business-friendly regulation could make it easier to introduce the technology to the public. In the December 16 statement, Google decried the proposal, saying www.autobodynews.com California’s rules would hold back a technology with the potential to prevent car crashes and improve the mobility of people who currently cannot drive. “Safety is our highest priority and Google impact The rules, if finalized, could prompt primary motivator as we do this,” technology companies such as Google, spokesman Johnny Luu wrote in an e-
Change Service Requested
by Gabe Nelson, Auto News
Whew! Made it home from the body shop before my owner found out.
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID San Bernardino, CA Permit #2244