Should Self-Driving Cars Be Allowed in New York?

Far from science fiction, self-driving cars may soon be seen on New York roads.

Cars that parallel park themselves with minimal help from the driver are already on the market. Cars that assist in an emergency by calling for help are already on the market. What’s next?

• stability control
• warning systems
• “active” cruise control
• pedestrian alerts
• autonomous steering

There’s lots of noise in the business media about the idea. 

“I think there will come a time when you go down the highway and you don't have to have your hand on the steering wheel at all. It'll be a combination of GPS, radar and other sensors,"  said GPS inventor Bradford Parkinson, talking to CNN about the fact that robotic cars are on the way.

Several states, including Nevada, California and Florida, have enacted legislation that expressly permits operation of self-driving (sometimes called "autonomous") vehicles under certain conditions, according to the Naiional Highway Safety Transportation Administration.

Senator Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson) wants  New York in the mix.

“This is a tremendous advancement in automobile technology, the future is here,” said Ball in a press release. “Vehicle accidents, year after year, always rank in the leading causes of death in New York State and across the United States. In the early testing stages this futurist technology has proven to be safer and more reliable than human operated vehicles.”

Ball’s legislation would allow Toyota, in partnership with Google, to test autonomous vehicles on New York roadways. A report on the progress of the autonomous car which will be presented to the Governor as well as New York State Legislator, is expected by February 2015.

The feds are in the mix. Transportation Department regulators released a policy May 30 intended to advance testing of self-driving cars and to encourage development of precursor technologies.

The whole point is to minimize human error—the reason for the vast majority of auto accidents, according to cnn.com.