Fully autonomous vehicles will start to hit the streets of New York City after Eric Adams, the Mayor of the Big Apple, announced a new permitting system for companies. Unlike laws in California that allow self-driving vehicles to be tested without a human driver behind the wheel, all models tested in NYC will require a safety driver at all times.
Companies interested in testing their vehicles in New York City must have testing experience in other cities. Applicants must also submit important information from previous tests, including the details of any crashes they have experienced and how often safety drivers have been required to take the wheel.
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The Mayor’s proposal will also require firms to obtain a permit from the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Details on safety drivers must also be provided, including information on how they are hired and trained. Safety drivers will also not be allowed to be in the hot seat for more than two hours without taking a break. Companies testing autonomous vehicles in New York will also need to provide important testing data that will be available through the city’s Open Data portal.
“This technology is coming whether we like it or not, so we’re going to make sure that we get it right,” Mayor Adams said in a statement. “If we do, our streets can be safer.”
The streets of New York City will represent a unique challenge for self-driving vehicles not found elsewhere in the U.S. Senator and member of the Transportation Committee John Liu believes the bustling metropolis may be too difficult for autonomous vehicles to handle.
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“This kind of testing hasn’t even been completed in other parts of the country,” he told Daily News. “It would behoove New York City to wait to see some of those other results of driverless technology in less dense urban settings. This is an example of something where New York City does not have to be first.”
