The DMV is poised to approve true driverless cars much faster than anyone in Barstow or Mojave originally thought.

Last December, the DMV indicated that it would green-light driverless cars that still had humans behind the wheel in case something went wrong. Google and other tech companies were less than thrilled, as they envisioned vehicles with no steering wheels or pedals. They argued that since humans are not very good drivers – which is one of the main ideas behind autonomous vehicles – having a human driver as a failsafe did not make much sense. But after the federal government released a 15-point safety standard for driverless cars, the DMV changed its position. It now seems willing to accept true driverless cars as long as they meet or exceed the federal safety standard.

The new regulations include other provisions as well; for example, Tesla and other manufacturers that make cars with auto-pilot features cannot market them as “self-driving” or “autonomous.”

Driverless Cars and Traffic Tickets

There are those who believe that driverless cars will be the end of the world as we know it, at least as far as traffic tickets are concerned. Since these vehicles are programmed not to speed or change lanes illegally or run stoplights, the fear is that local governments will lose millions in revenue. But the government has found new sources of revenue before, and it will do so again. For example, before the IRS started income tax source withholding, the federal government mostly lived on tariffs and other such excise taxes.

Once driverless cars start appearing en masse, officers may start writing more tickets for non-point infractions, like expired registration stickers, non-working equipment, expired drivers’ licenses, and the list goes on. Then as now, if drivers address the deficiencies in a timely manner, most prosecutors are willing to dismiss these citations.

Getting Legal Help

The aggressive attorneys at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets. Call today at 661-349-9300 or email attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español, llame al 661-349-9755.