California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) approved new regulations on Tuesday (28th), allowing Autonomous Vehicle (AV) manufacturers to test and deploy heavy-duty autonomous driving technology on California roads.
According to the DMV, manufacturers must first conduct tests with safety drivers before moving on to the unmanned driving testing phase, and only then can they apply for deployment on state roads.
Under the DMV regulations, manufacturers must complete testing mileage at each stage, with 50,000 miles for light vehicles and 500,000 miles for heavy-duty autonomous vehicles, and submit structured safety arguments to prove the safety of vehicle hardware, software, and operation before obtaining permission.
The new regulations also expand safety and oversight requirements for all types of autonomous vehicles, allowing law enforcement agencies to issue fines to companies for autonomous vehicle violations.
According to the regulations, companies operating autonomous vehicles must respond to calls from frontline rescue personnel within 30 seconds, and local emergency response officials have the authority to issue electronic geofence commands requiring autonomous vehicles to evacuate areas in emergency situations.
DMV Director Steve Gordon stated, “California continues to lead the nation in the development and application of autonomous driving technology, and these updated regulations further demonstrate the state government’s commitment to public safety.”
He also said, “These updates enhance public safety and transparency while increasing accountability for autonomous vehicle manufacturers, supporting the advancement of the self-driving car industry.”
The California DMV stated that the new regulations allow local emergency response officials to implement temporary “no-go” or restricted areas for companies seeking to deploy autonomous vehicles. Enterprises that do not comply with relevant restrictions may have their permits restricted or suspended as appropriate.
Lifting the ban on heavy-duty self-driving vehicles paves the way for automated freight transport
The California DMV pointed out that it will lift the ban on the operation of self-driving vehicles weighing over 10,001 pounds, paving the way for automated freight transport in California.
The agency stated, “The new regulations have been formally adopted, with some provisions taking immediate effect, while the rest will be gradually implemented in the coming months according to their effective dates.”
Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill in 2023 that would have prevented unmanned testing and operation of heavy-duty self-driving vehicles in California.
At that time, Newsom stated that the bill was unnecessary as current state laws already provided sufficient authority to establish a regulatory framework. He noted that California’s legislature had authorized the DMV to work with state law enforcement agencies to regulate the industry as early as 2012.
In a statement on September 22, 2023, Newsom said, “As autonomous driving technology continues to evolve, along with its development in California, the DMV will continue to update relevant regulations.”