The state government of Nevada has passed legislation that allows Google’s self-driving cars on its roads. Nevada is the first state to approve these driverless cars to get tested on the street.
Google has been lobbying with the Nevada State Legislature to pass the law that legalizes the use of self-driving cars. But the state has even taken it to another level, as Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles will provide driver’s license for robot cars.
Although self-driving cars are yet to be available to the public, they are ready to be tested on public highways. Companies that want to test its driverless cars will need a bond of $1 million to $3 million, depending on the amount of cars it wants to test. These cars are required to have two people inside at all times, one of whom must be able to control if needed.
These robot cars also need to be equipped with data collectors and will be provided license plates. The cars approved for public testing will have green license plates, instead of the usual grayish-blue Nevada plates.
An interesting provision to the new legislation allows operators of driverless cars to text and drive, but not drink and drive.
Google currently has an array of prototype driverless cars, seven of which have been driven 1,000 miles without any human intervention. So far, only one reported accident involves a Google self-driving car, which the company claims was being driven manually at the time.
Apart from Google, other car companies such as BMW, Volkswage, and Audi are developing their own self-driving prototypes. Other states, including Florida and Hawaii, are also on the road to approve the testing of driverless vehicles.
