Motorists of The Silver State, don't be alarmed if you soon glance over at the car next to you and see a passenger waving from a driverless car as you zoom across Interstate 15.
Nevada lays claim (mining pun intended) to some fairly brazen "firsts," morally suspect as they may be: The first U.S. state to legalize casino-style gambling; the first state to sanction the use of the gas chamber for executions; and, to top it off, the first (and only) state to legalize prostitution in the modern era.
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Depending how you feel about sharing the road with driverless vehicles, Nevada's newest "first" sounds just as reckless as the aforementioned.
The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles released a statement Wednesday saying that its Legislative Commission gave thumbs-up for regulations allowing for operation of self-driving cars on the state's highways and byways.
"Nevada is the first state to embrace what is surely the future of automobiles," Department of Motor Vehicles director Bruce Breslow said 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."
Autonomous vehicles will display red license plates and, pending approval for public use, the cars will then have a green license plate.
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Nevada said it collaborated with Google, car manufacturers, testing professionals, insurance companies, universities and law enforcement agencies to develop regulations.
Last June, the state passed a bill requiring the DMV to draft rules for autonomous vehicles.
Should an autonomous car be involved in an accident, there's always the human passenger to blame.
[Via Gizmodo]
Credit: DMVNV, AP/Sandra Chereb
Tags: Auto, Cars, Concept Cars, Driving and Safety, Transportation
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