Feds tell Google

Feds tell Google itself would qualify as autonomous system drivers

The federal agency in charge of vehicle safety recently told Google that it is open to the idea of ??having a car with his driver. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) can be considered a "driver" under the Google self-driving car system piloting federal law.

Make sure trade is an important step towards self-driving cars. Many advocates worried that the regulatory red tape as robo-technology for the deployment of vehicle fleets will be as much of an obstacle. But NHTSA said in a letter to the company by Reuters found "no need for a human driver" positive response to a proposal for a Google car.

Driver "NHTSA will interpret" ", and not the vehicle occupants as referring to [Self-driving systems] in the context of Google's motor vehicle design," the agency's letter said. He said: "We agree with Google will not have to [Self-driving car] A" went to the driver "vehicles that drivers have had during the last 100 years in the traditional sense."

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Some states have laws explicitly allow independent testing of prototype vehicles on public roads, but generally require manual control. California, for example, its own design itself requires Google to include a steering wheel and brakes for autonomous vehicle. NHTSA said second manual control Google because it is the original decision to replace the autonomous system will encourage residents to humans, it can be dangerous.

The Google self-driving car will have to design around that can not be ignored, the current rules for human-controlled cars. Including the steering wheel and brake pedal, but also can be used as conventional cars dashboard "idiot lights" means that the signals sent out by the control systems.

The government has recently taken other actions in support of self-driving cars. In January, NHTSA will work to streamline regulations for more autonomous vehicles on the road quickly. It is also expected to have plans to establish a national regulatory framework for self-driving cars, and the drafting of guidelines within six months.