New rules regarding testing and deployment of self-driving vehicles are being written for the state of California. The California DMV announced Friday that they are seeking public comment on regulations that will apply to all vehicles equipped with self-driving technology ranging from robotaxis like Waymo’s to heavy-duty driverless trucks like those from Plus.AI.
A California DMV spokesman e-mailed a statement to CNBC and said the proposed regulations “offer the nation’s most comprehensive rules for the operation of autonomous vehicles and underscore the DMV’s commitment to enhancing public safety, fostering innovation, and establishing a robust framework for AV technology testing and deployment.” Tesla has promised to deliver self-driving vehicles and driverless ride-hailing service for years but has not yet obtained permits to deploy these in California. Tesla has yet to sell vehicles deemed safe to use without a person behind the wheel.
Tesla competitors including Waymo owned by Alphabet (Google), Zoox owned by Amazon and the Chinese AV company WeRide have all obtained a higher level of permits in California, and Waymo is already operating a robotaxi service in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. California’s vehicle safety authority has posted the regulations to its autonomous vehicle’s website, and it is accepting public comments until June 9, 2025. After that date they plan to schedule a public hearing prior to implementing new regulations.
The proposed regulations would require driverless vehicle makers to obtain a permit for testing with a human safety driver on-board, then complete a certain number of test-drive miles. They would then need to obtain another permit for driverless testing, as well as a final permit to deploy driverless vehicles in California. The new proposed rules will also allow autonomous trucks (weighing 10,001 pounds or more) to be tested on California’s public roads and they will also require all AV makers operating in the state to adhere to new data-reporting requirements and comply with the state’s standards for driverless vehicle interactions with first responders.
California announced the updated regulations after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said they were going to relax an order that required automakers to report data on collisions occurring while drivers are using their partially-automated or more advanced automated driving systems. It was in 2022 when the California DMV sued Tesla alleging they engaged in deceptive marketing and advertising practices around its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems. The company’s advanced driver assistance systems require a person behind the wheel, ready to steer at any moment. That case is ongoing.
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