New York State’s Roads Open to Testing

A 1971 New York State law prohibited a motor vehicle to be operated without a person having one hand on the wheel at all times. What seemed at the time to be a simple, straightforward, and necessary law has proved to be a roadblock in recent times, leading to companies such as Uber and Waymo testing in other states that had fewer legal obstacles.

The state budget approved in April included a pilot program that would allow the testing of driverless vehicles, undoing the old law’s insistence on a human being behind the wheel. There are strict conditions to the testing however. Each car has to have at least $5 million of insurance coverage, have a licensed driver on board in the passenger seat, and the companies must also pay for a state police escort during testing. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles will also be required to give approval to any company that wants to test autonomous vehicles, and will continue to monitor and report on their effects on road safety and traffic.

Audi of America has begun testing on the streets in Albany, the first automaker to take part in the pilot program, which is due to expire 1st April 2018.

References: Press Connects