SCIENCE BOND

On Wednesday, the DMV published draft regulations which outline how the technology could be used on the roads.  The regulations say truly driverless cars would be "initially excluded" from operation.  Google's director of self-driving cars, Chris Urmson, said the move was "perplexing".  "This maintains the same old status quo and falls short on allowing this technology to reach its full potential, while excluding those who need to get around but cannot drive," he wrote in his blog.  "We've heard countless stories from people who need a fully self-driving car today. People with health conditions ranging from vision problems to multiple sclerosis to autism to epilepsy who are frustrated with their dependence on others for even simple errands."Google argues that driverless cars are much safer than manually driven cars, because they eliminate the human error that causes a majority of collisions. The technology has inspired a web ga...

However, the cautious recommendations from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will, initially at least, insist on a fully licensed driver being behind the wheel, ready to take over in an emergency or if the technology fails.  California has been the testing ground for most of the development, and so regulations in the state are considered to be precedent-setting.  Prospective users of self-driving cars will need to undergo special training, and manufacturers would be required to monitor the cars' use.  Answering a common query, regulators said any traffic violations or accidents would remain the responsibility of the human driver.Many firms are investing heavily in researching and creating self-driving vehicles, such as Ford, Uber and Tesla. Google, which leads the research field, has made a self-driving car without any controls such as steering wheels or pedals.But the DMV's proposals would mean such vehicles would not, for the foreseeable future at least, be ...