SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Companies that are developing self-driving cars of the future want government regulators to clear the road for public access to the technology, once it emerges from prototype testing.
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles is wrestling with how to keep the public safe as the imperfect technology matures — but not regulate so heavily that the agency stifles development of vehicles with potentially huge safety benefits.
On Thursday, DMV officials in Sacramento began hearing from advocates and skeptics with strong opinions about precedent-setting draft regulations the agency released last month. Those regulations will govern the cars’ eventual rollout to residents.
So far, the agency has taken a cautious approach — one that Google in particular says will stymie the technology.
Google has concluded that human error is the biggest risk in driving, and the company wants to remove the steering wheel and pedals from cars, giving people minimal ability to take over.
The DMV said cars must have a steering wheel in case onboard computers or sensors — including radar, lasers and cameras — fail. A licensed driver would need to sit in the driver’s seat, ready to seize control in an emergency.
