NHTSA Tells Google That Computers Can Qualify As Drivers

Self-driving cars are still a relatively new technology, which means that the current system needs to be updated to better reflect said technology. So far self-driving car tests have been somewhat restrictive, and there is also the need for a human driver to be present in said vehicle, which we suppose makes sense.

However recently the NHTSA has said that they agree with Google, in the sense that computers (like the system that controls the self-driving car) can be considered a driver. This is according to a letter from the NHTSA to Google with regards to a proposed designed for Google’s self-driving car unit.

The letter reads, “NHTSA will interpret ‘driver’ in the context of Google’s described motor vehicle design as referring to the (self-driving system), and not to any of the vehicle occupants. We agree with Google its (self-driving car) will not have a ‘driver’ in the traditional sense that vehicles have had drivers during the last more than one hundred years.”

No doubt this is a pretty huge victory for Google and other self-driving car manufacturers who might be considering more radical ideas for their design. However there are still other regulatory hurdles and individual state laws that manufacturers will have to contend with, but overall the NHTSA’s decision will set an interesting precedent for the future.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Transportation
Tags: Google, Legal, Self-Driving Cars