[Quietcars] Jerry Brown signs driverless car bill

[Mary Ellen]

Thanks for that very interesting article.  As I understand it, the
technology involved in the Google car is no better, and perhaps nnot as
good, as the technology involved in the Blind Driver Challenge vehicle.  A
driverless car will require a means for the person riding in it to exercise
control.  That interface must be accessible to blind people.  Also, we need
to have a means of overriding if necessary.   

-----Original Message-----
From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
Sent: September 25, 2012 10:26 PM
To: NFB quietcars
Subject: [Quietcars] Jerry Brown signs driverless car bill

    The latest on California politics and government



September 25, 2012

Jerry Brown signs driverless car bill



MOUNTAIN VIEW - Gov. Jerry Brown, describing Google Inc.'s robot cars as
"science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality," signed legislation this
afternoon allowing driverless cars to be tested on public roads.

"Today we're looking at science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality: the
self driving car," the Democratic governor said at a bill signing event at
Google's headquarters here.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin said he could "count on one hand" the number
of years it might take before driverless technology becomes widely
available.


 


Google and other supporters of the legislation, Senate Bill 1298, say
robot-controlled cars could drive more safely and efficiently than people,
whose errors are responsible for a high percentage of crashes.

Nevada enacted similar legislation last year, and the state recently issued
to Google that state's first license to test autonomous vehicles, according
to a legislative analysis.

Sen. Alex Padilla, the Southern California Democrat, who authored the
legislation, Senate Bill 1298, called it a "dream bill," saying it will save
lives, create jobs, ease congestion and reduce emissions.

Opponents of the bill included the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and
Consumer Watchdog. Automakers have raised liability concerns, while Consumer
Watchdog argued Google's driverless cars should not be allowed on California
roads until privacy protections are in place.

The legislation requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to adopt
regulations related to the technology by Jan. 1, 2015.

Brown, famous for his blue Plymouth sedan when he was governor before, rode
in the front passenger seat for a test drive today of a robot-controlled
Toyota Prius. 

"Only way to go, guys," he told reporters.

Later, he was asked to whom a traffic ticket would be issued in the event a
self-driving car ran a red light.

"Whoever owns the car, I would think," Brown said. "But we'll work that out.
That's going to be the easiest problem to work out."

Brin stepped in with a more certain answer.

"Self-driving cars," he said, "do not run red lights."

 
Categories: Bills (2011-2012 session) , Gov. Jerry Brown

Tags: driverless cars, Jerry Brown










 







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