Photo: Acura
New York's authorities have announced that the state now accepts applications from businesses that want to test or demonstrate self-driving vehicles on public roads.
The pilot program that will allow corporations to request permission for autonomous car tests will last for a year, and has already been included in the state’s budget. The tests and demonstrations approved under this program will have to end by April 1, 2017.
Any firm interested in getting a permit will have to send a correctly filed application to the Department of Motor Vehicles, which has a few restrictions.
First of all, the vehicles will have to come with a $5 million insurance policy, and they must also comply with all federal standards, along with the state’s applicable norms and laws for that category of vehicle.
Secondly, a person who has a valid driver’s license will have to be in the driver’s seat at all times when the automobile is run on public highways.
Fortunately, autonomous car development vehicles already come with this by default, and all manufacturers involved comply with the requirement that the person behind the wheel should always be ready to step in to keep the car under control.
School zones and construction zones are off-limits for the prototypes, which will raise a few questions on how the production vehicles that will result from them will handle these areas.
The intended testing routes, the routes they will use, and the total routing distance will have to be specified in the permit application.
Evidently, tests will be done in controlled conditions, but it will be interesting to see the LiDAR and camera system of the “average” autonomous car deal with construction dust, covered road markings, and kids that come running into the streets.
California, Nevada, and Arizona are the U.S. states that have allowed companies to test "driverless" cars on public roads ahead of New York. If the state’s budget allows it, NY will extend the period in which self-driving cars will be tested on its streets in prototype form.
Any firm interested in getting a permit will have to send a correctly filed application to the Department of Motor Vehicles, which has a few restrictions.
First of all, the vehicles will have to come with a $5 million insurance policy, and they must also comply with all federal standards, along with the state’s applicable norms and laws for that category of vehicle.
Secondly, a person who has a valid driver’s license will have to be in the driver’s seat at all times when the automobile is run on public highways.
Fortunately, autonomous car development vehicles already come with this by default, and all manufacturers involved comply with the requirement that the person behind the wheel should always be ready to step in to keep the car under control.
School zones and construction zones are off-limits for the prototypes, which will raise a few questions on how the production vehicles that will result from them will handle these areas.
The intended testing routes, the routes they will use, and the total routing distance will have to be specified in the permit application.
Evidently, tests will be done in controlled conditions, but it will be interesting to see the LiDAR and camera system of the “average” autonomous car deal with construction dust, covered road markings, and kids that come running into the streets.
California, Nevada, and Arizona are the U.S. states that have allowed companies to test "driverless" cars on public roads ahead of New York. If the state’s budget allows it, NY will extend the period in which self-driving cars will be tested on its streets in prototype form.
Google News