Driverless cars to get their own licenses: First certificates will be issued to Californian developers in September
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Some people are excited by the prospect of driverless cars, which allow passengers to kick back and enjoy the ride without a care in the world.
But others worry that the technology could lead to diminished responsibility on the roads.
In a bid to strike a balance and speed up the development of the technology while keeping motorists safe, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will grant licenses to certain driverless cars and their human co-pilots as soon as September.
Driving test: The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will grant licenses to certain driverless cars and their human co-pilots as soon as September. A Google self-driving car, a white Lexus, is pictured
IS EUROPE SET TO WIN THE RACE FOR DRIVERLESSS CARS?
Cars could be driving themselves down European streets far sooner than expected, thanks to a change in a global treaty backed by European countries.
A little-noticed amendment to the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic agreed last month would let drivers take their hands off the wheel of self-driving cars.
It was pushed by Germany, Italy and France, whose high-end carmakers believe they are ready to zoom past American tech pioneers and bring the first 'autonomous vehicles' to market.
Moving from test drives to marketable products was held back by Article 8 of the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic, which stipulates: 'Every driver shall at all times be able to control his vehicle or to guide his animals.'
The amendment agreed last month by the U.N. Working Party on Road Traffic Safety would allow a car to drive itself, as long as the system 'can be overridden or switched off by the driver'.
A driver must be present and able to take the wheel at any time.
Provided the amendment clears all bureaucratic hurdles, all 72 countries that are party to the convention would have to work the new rules into their laws.
The convention covers European countries, Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Russia, although not the United States, Japan or China.
The licenses will cost $150 (£89) for 10 vehicles and up to 20 'test' drivers, but they are designed for the testing of the technology by manufacturers such as Google, rather than members of the public.
The terms of the licence are strict and say that a car 'needs to be insured for at least $5,000,000 (£3million) against personal injury, death, or property damage.'
The rules say that test drivers must sit in the driver's seat and be capable of immediately taking control of the vehicle.
They will also have to have complete a training programme and obey all the usual rules of the road.
'The test driver must have been a licensed driver for at least three years, with no more than one point on their license and no accidents that resulted in injuries,' the DMV said.
The rules also state that any accidents that occur while operating an autonomous car, which result in damage or injury, must be reported to the authorities within 10 days.
Currently the states of California, Nevada, Florida and Michigan allow the testing of Google's autonomous vehicles on their roads.
Applications for the license open in July and the first licenses are set to be granted in September.
However, members of the public will have to wait longer before they are let loose on public roads hands-free as their car drives for them.
'Rules governing public operation of autonomous vehicles are currently being developed by DMV and are expected to be adopted by January 1, 2015,' the department said.
Easy rider: The licences only apply to employees of autonomous vehicle manufacturers and say that a car 'needs to be insured for at least $5,000,000 against personal injury, death, or property damage.' The rules state that test drivers must sit in the driver seat (pictured)and be capable of immediately taking control of the vehicle
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