DMV Hosting Two Public Workshops on Draft Autonomous Vehicle Regulations

At two upcoming public workshops, the auto industry, interest groups, consumers and other stakeholders will have an opportunity to weigh in on California's proposed regulations for deploying autonomous vehicles.

FutureStructure reported last month that the draft regulations made public last month would require a licensed driver who has obtained a certificate to drive an AV be sitting behind the wheel and capable of taking over driving if necessary. By extension of that rule, the department won’t allow the public use of any cars that are capable of driving themselves without a human behind the controls.

DMV said it plans on releasing more regulatory packages in the coming years that will allow manufacturers to test cars without drivers on public streets. That, then, would someday lead to a green light for cars that can do more by themselves.

The draft regulations also:

• Place responsibility for traffic violations — even while the vehicle is driving itself — in the hands of the car’s operator.

• Call on AV manufacturers to earn safety and “behavioral competency” certifications from third-party testing companies. The state is asking researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, to conduct a peer review to come up with specific components of behavioral competency tests that will show a vehicle’s ability to respond to hazards and drive under normal conditions.

• Require manufacturers to obtain driver permission for any information they collect.

• Mandate that vehicles have the ability to detect cyberattacks and hand over control to the driver in the case of a security breach.

• Ask manufacturers to submit monthly reports on performance, safety and usage data to the DMV.

• Put a three-year lifespan on vehicle deployments, meaning that manufacturers would need to apply for a new permit every three years.
  
  In 2014, DMV announced separate regulation for manufacturers to test autonomous vehicles.
  
  A full agenda and live stream of the workshop will be available on the DMV Autonomous Vehicles Web page. The workshop will also be recorded and posted online.
  
  Workshop Details:
  
  California State University, Sacramento
  Harper Alumni Center
  6000 J St. Sacramento, CA 95819
  Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016
  10 a.m.
  
  Junipero Serra Building
  Carmel Room
  320 West 4th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013
  Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016
  10 a.m.
  
  Reporting from FutureStructure's Ben Miller contributed to this story.