Driver’s Permit – For Driverless Cars
Judy Antell
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Audi gets first permit for autonomous cars
Remember the Stephen King book Christine, where the car has a mind of its own? California just took the first step towards driverless cars, giving German automaker Volkswagen Audi a permit for cars with autonomous driving.
But unlike King’s horror story, these cars are designed for the ultimate in passenger safety, able to drive at optimal speed in highway traffic. Mercedes-Benz and Google also got permits to take their driverless cars on California’s roads. Since General Motors is also developing driverless cars, they could join the others.
California is not the only state to allow self-driving cars; Michigan, Florida and Nevada also allow it.
Audi is developing the A7 as a driverless car, but in California, you will still be required to sit in the driver’s seat while your car does the driving. No word on whether the autonomous system will also demand driver’s privilege in selecting the radio station.