Stanford CIS

Amendments to California's Autonomous Driving Bill

By Bryant Walker Smith on

California's autonomous driving bill (SB 1298) has undergone further amendment. Two observations:

What's changed: The newest version takes an incremental approach to automated driving for purposes other than R&D. If the bill passes in its current form, the current legal status of automated driving will remain unchanged until 120 days after the state DMV issues applicable regulations. At that time, "manufacturers" will have to apply for their vehicles to be permitted on California's roads, and operation will require a licensed driver in the driver's seat. However, this driver requirement can be superseded by state or federal regulations and will in any case expire (unless extended) in 2017. (Separate from this scheme, companies that comply with certain conditions can test their vehicles for the purpose of R&D.)

What hasn't changed: The newest version does not expressly address concerns about liability or privacy raised by some participants in the legislative process.

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On another note, here's an example of driving data: the "world’s largest database of risky driving events, more than 44 million recorded unsafe driving incidents."