In a groundbreaking move the state of Nevada authorized the use of autonomous vehicles on its highways. As of February 2012 formal licensing procedures to test self-driving automobiles are on the books. Google is the inspiration behind this legislation. Google since 2010 has been testing autonomous vehicles with no accidents recorded to date. The legislation requires the presence of a vehicle operator should a technical glitch occur. The operator has permission to text or use a handheld cellphone. All autonomous vehicles will include a black box to track operations with the data recorded in these devices made available to government upon request.
Google is not alone in the development of autonomous cars. General Motors in conjunction with Carnegie-Mellon University has been developing a self-driving Chevrolet Tahoe model. BMW, has also developed test vehicles.
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