Nevada has become the first state in the nation to make it legal to use driverless cars on its roadways, and has just finalized the various regulations that come with such a forward-thinking law.
The law was actually passed last year, but within the legal measure it said that state agencies need to come up with specific, fine-tuned rules and regulations about how these new vehicles would operate in tandem with regular cars.
Those regulations have just been approved, and now, “Nevada is the first state to embrace what is surely the future of automobiles,” said the state’s DMV director Bruce Breslow in a statement.
“These regulations establish requirements companies must meet to test their vehicles on Nevada’s public roadways as well as requirements for residents to legally operate them in the future,” Breslow continued.
Right now, in the extraordinarily niche market of driverless cars, Google is the primary player. It expects to use Nevada as a prime testing zone for the technology. There is still one more formality, which is establishing the licensing process for companies like Google to get their prototype cars certified for use in the state.
In a country where the government can’t seem to decide on budgets, the definition of marriage, how to regulate online commerce, or any other of the many issues that continue to plague Americas and businesses, it’s nice to see a legislative process that actually moves toward innovation and excitement.
I can’t wait until I can pilot my driverless rental car to the Vegas strip some time in the future.
