Laws Pave Way for Driverless Car Research on Roads

Dec. 31, 2013—A pair of new Michigan bills signed by Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday will allow companies to test driverless cars on public roads, a move that Michigan lawmakers hope will keep the state at the forefront of vehicle research and design.

Michigan has made progress on the driverless car front, with the University of Michigan announcing a collaboration in November with the government and various businesses to make Ann Arbor the first American city to have a fleet of shared, networked driverless vehicles by 2021.

So far, researchers are conducting a “Safety Pilot” program involving 3,000 area residents utilizing networked vehicles on streets.

The Associated Press reported that the bills require a person to be in the driverless vehicle to take the wheel if necessary.