Google Announces Plans for Driverless Car

On May 29, 2014, Google announced its plans to build, test, and eventually release 100 prototype driverless cars onto city streets-- all by this time next year.

The prototype vehicles are reportedly expected to be two seater, subcompact cars.  The vehicles will reportedly have no steering wheel, gas pedal, or brake pedal.  Instead, the vehicles will use sensors and computing power to move about, with the route set by typing a destination into a map or using voice commands.  The vehicles will also reportedly have special limitations, such as a 25 mph top speed, and will be electricity powered with a maximum 100 mile driving distance before recharge.  The vehicles will not be for sale, but instead provided to select operators for testing.  They will reportedly be built in the Detroit area, but Google has not released the identification of the builders or the cost of the prototypes.

While Google has tested thousands of Lexus SUVs and Toyota Priuses outfitted with sensors and cameras to make them "driverless", these new prototypes will go a step further, taking the "safety driver" out of the equation.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is reportedly required to publish regulations allowing the public use of truly driverless cars like the Google car by summer 2015.  These new regulations are apparently what will allow for Google's prototypes to be released onto city streets.

While summer 2015 is the goal to release the 100 prototype vehicles onto city streets, according to Chris Urmson, the leader of Google's self-driving car team, public release of the 100 fleet prototypes "won't happen until we're confident in the safety." 
   

Beth Wells

www.OhioLemonLaw.com

www.KentuckyLemonLaw.com

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Ready To Turn Over The Wheel To Your Car?

Are you ready to turn over the wheel, gas pedal, and brake pedal to your car?  The time to do so may be closer than you think.

On May 30, 2013, the National Highway Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) announced its new policy on automated vehicle development.  The policy outlines the types of vehicle automation that offer significant potential for reduction in highway crashes and deaths, summarizes NHTSA’s ongoing and future automated vehicle research, and outlines NHTSA's recommendations for states that have already authorized operation of self-driving vehicles for test purposes.

According to NHTSA, autonomous vehicles should only be used for testing purposes until the technology is more advanced and additional safety features are added.  But ultimately, it is expected that self driving vehicles will save thousands of lives every year, as most auto accidents are the result of human error. 

Some autonomous vehicle features include: adaptive cruise control, which allows the vehicle to adjust its speed to maintain a safe distance between vehicles, automatic braking, where the car jumps in and applies the brakes before a crash can occur, and vehicle to vehicle communications, where vehicles provide each other with safety and traffic information. 

Autonomous vehicles are now being licensed for testing purposes only in Nevada, California, and Florida.  In fact, in May, Nevada issued its first license plate to an autonomous vehicle.

Right now, Google is leading the way in the autonomous vehicle industry, but companies like GM, Audi, Toyota, and Ford are getting into the game and already have some autonomous features in their vehicles. 

Ready to turn over the wheel?  Don't get too excited-- fully self driving vehicles are not expected to be on the road and in use by the general public until 2025.

Beth Wells

www.BurdgeLaw.com

Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemons, 9 Years Running