Florida Now Allows Testing of Driverless Cars on Roads

Florida’s roads are now open for testing driverless vehicles following a new legislation signed by its governor, Ron DeSantis, on June 13.

Beginning July 1, automakers and tech companies will be allowed to test their experimental driverless cars in the state provided that the cars comply with very basic safety and insurance regulations outlined in the new law.

When a human operator is behind the wheel, the prototype car should be able to emit visual and audible alerts if it detects any failure in its core systems. In addition, when a problem occurs while the vehicle is without human supervision, it needs to have the capability to safely pull over and bring itself to a full stop. It must activate its hazard lights instead of slamming on the brakes in the middle of the road.

DeSantis hopes that the new law will encourage companies to test and build their vehicles in Florida in the future. He, along with the state’s lawmakers, also want to show that Florida’s roads will be ready to include the smart cars once they are ready.

“As soon as companies are ready to roll them out, they’ll be able to get onto our roadways,” said Florida State Representative Jason Fischer, who was the main sponsor of the bill.

Another major stipulation in the law is that the autonomous driving system is considered the car’s operator even if there are passengers riding in the cabin. This means that the company that built the prototype will be responsible in the event of an accident.

As of March, a total of 29 states had passed laws related to autonomous cars, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. These laws range from allowing testing to permitting vehicles to operate without humans.

Aside from Florida, Michigan and Texas also allow driverless cars on its roads, although it may take a while before any state gets populated by cars without humans operating them.