In a recent article I wrote for TMCnet, I discussed how one of the main people involved in Google’s (News - Alert) driverless car project revealed that currently the giant search engine is holding closed-door meetings with various auto insurance companies about what the potential affects could be if driverless cars made their way to public roads in the near future.
Although keeping it quiet for now exactly which major insurance companies Google contacted, Anthony Levandowski, product manager for Google’s self-driving car project, did reveal the conversations revolved around the fact that, if launched, the car would require insurance policies.
“They see the opportunities for this technology being really positive,” said Anthony Levandowski, product manager for Google’s self-driving car project, according to a recent article. “From their point of view, this technology is not going to be released until it’s safe.”
And now, new reports surfaced yesterday saying that these futuristic innovations could be hitting the road a lot sooner than previously anticipated, as Nevada has just presented the company with a license to operate these vehicles that many feel are missing their most important element—a driver.
Nevada is the first state in the congressional United States of America to allow Google Inc. to test-drive these vehicles after proving their safety on both state freeways and highways in Las Vegas and Carson City. For wary disbelievers out there, you can rest at ease as the cars that control themselves are required to have brightly colored red license plates that yield the letters AU, standing for autonomous vehicle, in addition to the infinity symbol.
According to Las Vegas DMV director Bruce Breslow, he selected this symbol to show that automobiles will only continue to evolve as the seasons change.
As someone who recently relocated to Connecticut and can’t believe the amount of residents here that have been given a license with their horrible driving skills, I can only hope these cars will make better decisions than people I have seen on highways as-of-late.