"Law professor Bryant Walker Smith of the University of South Carolina discussed some of the legal aspects of getting driverless cars on the road. There are no major legal barriers to the use of the cars, he said, but there are minor issues in state law—for example, he said, the state of New York requires that drivers keep one hand on the wheel at all times. What happens when manufacturers introduce autonomous vehicles that don’t even have steering wheels?
Smith suggested that the few states that have already passed laws are jumping the gun. The federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has signaled its interest by suggesting that “drivers” need not be human for regulatory purposes; any guidance it issues could help states come up with robust laws."