California DMV Proposes Self-Driving Car Tests Without Human Presence; Watchdog Slams Plan

The California Department of Motor Vehicles proposed regulations that won't require the presence of a human inside a self-driving car being tested, a move Consumer Watchdog said would endanger people's safety. In a Friday notice, the DMV said "the proposed regulations promote the development of autonomous technology that has the potential to increase safety and enhance mobility, while focusing on issues related to roadway safety." It said an automaker would certify the vehicles being tested have a communications link, provide information about the "intended operational design domain," maintain a training program, provide disclosures to passengers and submit a safety assessment letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (see 1609200039). John Simpson, Consumer Watchdog privacy project director, said in a news release that the proposal is "too industry friendly and don't adequately protect consumers." The DMV is also shifting safety enforcement to the federal government, he added. “The NHTSA safety check list is meaningless because it doesn’t set any standards," he said. "It only asks that [manufacturers] voluntarily say, ‘Yeah, we thought about this stuff.’” The proposal would require automakers to notify a municipality of testing plans, not get permission, and would weaken requirements to report testing failures, he said. The DMV plans an April 25 hearing in Sacramento.