Companies who are looking to put their self-driving cars to the test against a new set of drivers and roads will be pleased to learn that the state of New York has announced that they have greenlighted the testing of autonomous vehicles, according to a report from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
What this means is that companies such as Uber or Waymo who are working on self-driving cars will now be able to put their technology to the test on New York’s public highways, as long as they have obtained the necessary permits/approval from the DMV. It is interestingly that this has been allowed, especially since in the past there has been resistance to self-driving cars by certain groups in New York.
For example an influential professional driver advocacy group pushed for a 50-year ban on self-driving cars over the concerns of potential job losses, while New York officials have expressed their concern whether or not the technology in these vehicles will be able to safely navigate New York City’s roads.
That being said, there will be some restrictions involved in the testing. For example a licensed driver has to be in the vehicle at all times when it is on the road, and testing needs to be done under direct supervision of the New York State Police and New York’s DMV. Testing is expected to begin soon and will run through April 2018.
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