Google Driver-Free Car Licensed in Nevada

Driver-Free Car is a Reality

So, truckers, think you have problems with 4 wheelers now? As the saying goes, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” How about driver-free cars? Nevada wants to put a whole new spin on the idea of No-Fault accidents on America’s highways.

Nevada just issued Google its first license for a car that drives itself. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Nevadans can expect to see the ballyhooed driver-free cars being tested around the state. The vehicles utilize intelligent driving software, proximity sensors and GPS data to figure out how to get from one point to another.

Driver-Free Car Regulations

Nevada’s DMV handed Google the very first U.S. license for a driver-free vehicle on Monday, following 2011 legislation in the state to allow test-driving of vehicles capable of piloting themselves. The only catch: Two people must be present in the vehicle ” one behind the wheel and one in the passenger seat. The 2011 law required Nevada’s DMV to establish regulations for autonomous vehicles, something it did a few months ago in February.

To proceed, companies planning to test driverless vehicles needed to present a detailed test plan, including what type of roads the cars would travel on, as well as spend potential millions on a bond depending on the number of vehicles they wanted to test. It sounds like those hurdles have been cleared, allowing vehicle testing to proceed, and the Sun notes Google has a test fleet of at least eight vehicles standing by, including an Audi TT, Lexus RX450h and six Toyota Priuses.

It’s still a work in progress, said DMV spokesperson Tom Jacobs

Read more about the future of driver-free cars at Time.