California DMV Not Cool with Google’s Steering Wheel-Free Car

In May Google
unveiled a car unlike any other: Built in-house, it had no steering
wheel or brake or acceleration pedals. Although hype continues to
build about the possibilities of a bold redesign, California’s
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is officially not cool with this
breed of autonomous automobile.

From CNet:

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has issued rules
that say a driver must be capable of “immediate physical control”
of a vehicle. So, the search giant’s prototype cars for now will
include steering wheels and a brake-pedal system.

The company said it would comply with the state’s regulations,
which will go into effect in mid-September. “During our testing we
are equipping the vehicles with manual controls such as a steering
wheel, brake pedal, and accelerator pedal,” said a Google
spokesperson. “With these additions, our safety drivers can test
the self-driving features while having the ability to take control
of the vehicle if necessary.”

Testing on private roads will begin next month, in prototypes
that will include a steering wheel and pedals. The California DMV
is expected to issue another regulation later this year that will
let manufacturers apply for permits to operate driverless
cars—without steering wheels, brakes or accelerators—in public
roads.

So, that kind of defeats the purpose of having a totally
driverless car. And, it’s not like Google slapped the thing
together without any safety and self-regulatory considerations. In
fact, greater safety is a big part of the push for self-driving
cars.  As I
wrote when the vehicle debuted:

Google has long been seeking to
reduce human error in driving— 90
percent of road accidents are the result of human error—so it
removed the human-controlled components. … The prototypes are
loaded with sensors that can deal with railroad
crossings, indecisive cyclists, and construction congestion. In
case of failure, it has “redundant
systems for steering and braking.” Unlike Google’s other cars,
which can handle highway speeds, the prototype (for now) tops out
at 25 miles per hour, so it will do minimal damage if it bumps
somebody with its plastic windshield and thick foam
front-end. 

The cars could also mean cleaner, more efficient driving, fewer
cops on the roads, fewer licensing requirements (who needs a
driver’s license when you’re not actually driving?), less money
spent on insurance, and even the obsolescence of speed limits.

What the effects, positive or negative, will be of the DMV’s
interference in the work of one of the world’s most reputable
businesses are yet unknown, but as has been previously
pointed out:

Policy makers must remember that their actions can produce harm.
If automated vehicles are demonstrated to be significantly safer
than manually driven vehicles, any misstep, convoluted law, or rule
that leads to unnecessary higher costs or delays translates to
increased injury and death.

For a different Reason perspective on self-driving cars
and the potential privacy pitfalls, click
here.