Google is "gravely disappointed" by California regulators' proposed rules for using driverless cars. The regulators push to ban the use of driverless cars in public roads in the state without the presence of a licensed human driver. The law negates the sole reason of why the driverless car was initiated in the first place.
Furthermore, in the proposal, the regulators from the California Department of Motor Vehicles demanded that a steering wheel and pedals must be installed so that a human driver can maneuver it and override the controls of the driverless car. Before using the driverless car, the human driver must possess an "autonomous vehicle operator certificate"
The driverless car aims to reduce 94% of accidents caused by human error and provide mobility to those with an inability to drive a car. ""In developing vehicles that can take anyone from A to B at the push of a button, we're hoping to transform mobility for millions of people," Google spokesperson Johnny Luu said in a statement.
The regulators from California Department of Motor Vehicles nested in the driverless car's potential threat to road safety. But Google reassured the public that safety will always be their "highest priority" and "primary motivator."
If the proposal actually turns into a working regulation, Google will be forced to test their driverless car in other states.
The driverless car is not yet open to the public is expected to be consumer ready not earlier than 6 years from now.
Being a threat to the present structure of the automotive industry, the development of the driverless car has prompted automotive companies to enhance safety-focused features on their models.
Tesla Motors is also developing an autopilot feature that commands the car to change lane when the driver makes a left or right turn light.