Google rebukes Californian law makers over driverless cars

New Californian state rulings, which are serving as a draft for autonomous car legislation, have been criticised by Google, who say the regulations will serve to limit the functions of self-driving cars

The Californian Department of Motor Vehicles has outlined proposals suggesting that a passenger must be present at all time in an autonomous vehicle, and the vehicle itself must have a steering wheel and pedals. Wired reports that Google's current test mules have a pedal and wheel for legal purposes, but the company's goal is to replace them with just two buttons to start and stop the car.

The draft legislation also made clear that those wishing to use an autonomous car must be licensed and able to operate the vehicle manually. The 'driver' will be held liable for all accidents and responsible for any violations of traffic laws, contrasting Google's earlier statements that they would accept all responsibility for accidents.

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While such announcements will seem uncontroversial to some, Google's reaction to the proposed regulations highlights the scale of its ambitions for self-driving cars.

In a statement issued by Google spokesperson Johnny Luu, the company condemned the proposals.

"We're gravely disappointed that California is already writing a ceiling on the potential for fully self-driving cars to help all of us who live here" reads the statement.

"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, whether by reducing the 94 per cent of accidents caused by human error or bringing everyday destinations within reach of those who might otherwise be excluded by their inability to drive a car."

The Californian DMV said "The primary focus of the deployment regulations is the safety of autonomous vehicles and the safety of the public who will share the road with these vehicles."

Other car manufacturers interested in developing autonomous technology, such as Mercedes-Benz and Tesla, could now be tempted to look elsewhere for a testing programme, says Automotive News.

The draft proposals and Google's reaction to them come not long after it was revealed that the tech giant has held several meetings with the UK government regarding electric cars.

Google praised the UK Government's attitude towards the deployment and development of the technology, suggesting that the UK could be an early adopter of Google's end product even if there has been no suggestion so far that their testing programme could extend towards the UK.