When Google unveiled its second self-driving car prototype a few months back, it was the absence of a steering wheel and a gas and brake pedal that set it apart from the first autonomous vehicle concept introduced by the search giant a couple of years go, and made it look pretty futuristic. Although this two-seater has reached a phase when its ready to undergo road tests, and Google was hoping to start tests in a few weeks, the software company’s plans hit a major hurdle recently, with the California Department of Motor Vehicles issuing a new set of rules that prevent vehicles with no steering wheels to be operated on public roads.
According to the new rules, an autonomous car’s driver must be able to take physical control of the vehicle at any given moment. The rule explicitly says: “The autonomous vehicle test driver is either in immediate physical control of the vehicle or is actively monitoring the vehicle’s operations and capable of taking over immediate physical control,” which means that Google’s car must be fitted with a set of features that will allow the driver to control it, such as a steering wheel, a braking system, and an accelerator pedal.
In addition to this, the rule – which will go into effect on September 16 – require drivers of autonomous vehicles to be holding a driver’s license for at least three years before they apply for a license for autonomous cars. What’s more, they must not have more than one demerit point against their regular driver’s licenses, and they can’t have a DUI conviction in the past ten years.
With this new rule coming into force, Google will have to make a few tweaks to its self-driving car in order to make it eligible for tests on public roads. The company will have to install a few extra physical controls, besides the ones already in place: a start and a stop button, along with a touch screen. Now, a steering wheel and pedals will have to be incorporated, so that test drivers can take immediate manual control and perform an evasive maneuver or bring the car to a stop in case something goes wrong with the autonomous driving system.
These changes to the rules regulating autonomous vehicle technology testing only add to the differences of opinion between Google and the California DMV, after the Internet giant opposed a DMV’s rule requiring all car makers that are developing self-driving cars to send detailed reports of road tests, and share information on the situations involving test drivers taking over control. Google argued that the transition of control between the autonomous driving system and the driver during tests has never caused a serious damage or injury to the driver or other road users, but will have to comply with this regulation, nonetheless, just like it will have to install physical controls in the self-driving car, so that it can be allowed to test it on public streets in the state of California.