Companies Can Test Driverless Cars on Florida Roads

FLORIDA – According to an online report at venturebeat.com,  the State of Florida no longer requires that companies which test driverless vehicles on public roads.*

Just last week, the governor of Florida signed a bill into law that creates a legal framework for autonomous vehicles.  The law places the onus on corporations to establish a legal framework for autonomous vehicles to ensure that their self-driving technology does not cause accidents.

Florida, as well as Michigan and Texas, are the three states that allow for human-free vehicles. One self-driving company startup is already testing its vehicles in Florida, which expects to deploy twenty-five autonomous vehicles by the end of 2020.  The company has already engaged in testing self-driving vehicles on a closed rural road close to Lake Okeechobee last February, and it also testing three autonomous vehicles on Florida roads.

“With this bill, Florida officially has an open-door policy to autonomous vehicle companies, and I encourage them to relocate from California to Florida,” the Florida governor notes. “This helps chart a course to a bolder, brighter, and smarter future in transportation and embraces the innovation revolution that will bring high-paying jobs to the state, while making our roads safer.”

Effective July 1, 2019, technology and automobile manufacturers that test vehicles in Florida must include audible systems that indicate to its human operators to system failures and they must also come up with safeguards for vehicles that are operated without a driver in control, which includes the ability of the vehicles to pull over and activate its hazard lights. Autonomous vehicle companies will be required to immediately report accidents to police or implement a way that accidents are automatically reported to law enforcement.  

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Source:https://venturebeat.com/2019/06/14/florida-establishes-a-legal-framework-for-self-driving-vehicles/