"California is not the first jurisdiction to pass rules governing the deployment of fully automated vehicles. Michigan has a law contemplating driverless fleets, and Florida has a law that its drafter says covers this, too. “But this would make California the most consciously permissive jurisdiction in the world,” says Ryan Calo, a professor at the University of Washington who teaches a course on robot law. “I question the wisdom of self-certification, especially with players that are not as sophisticated. I think it would be wiser to have third parties audit the technology.”"
"“The DMV’s rules are also going to shift a big part of the conversation to the federal level,” says Bryant Walker-Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina. “Some federal safety standards, such as one addressing brake pedals, arguably conflict with a truly driverless car. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) could change these standards, but that might take too long. NHTSA also has authority to grant exemptions from the federal safety standards, but this authority is limited.”"