Forget those flying cars. The future of commuting is looking more and more like a robot driver, and the Texas legislature is trying to keep up, 1200 WOAI news reports.
A bill up for debate in the Senate Transportation Committee this week would solidify the state as a fertile testing ground for automated vehicles while ensuring the safety of other drivers.
"There are some people who want to invest money in our state but they want some certainty that these vehicles will be allowed," State Senator Robert Nichols, who heads the Transportation Committee, testified this week.
The bill, SB 2205, has the backing of major manufactures, like General Motors and Toyota, who told lawmakers that automation has the potential to save lives.
"Self-driving cars will not drive impaired, they will not drive distracted and they will not drive fatigued. What the will do is follow the law," Hal Lenox, GM Regional Director of Government Affairs, testified.
Among other things, the bill would that the owner of the self-driving car has obtained an instrument of insurance, surety bond, or proof of self-insurance in the amount of at least $10 million.
It would also require that the car display a sign on the rear of the vehicle that states: "THIS IS A TEST AUTOMATED MOTOR VEHICLE."
As the testing progresses, San Antonio is being eyed as a spot. The city has begun talks with the Texas Transportation Institute to be a home for testing automated and connected cars.
"San Antonio is very interested," TTI's Christopher Poe tells Newsradio 1200 WOAI. "One of the areas of interest is the Fredericksburg Rd. corridor, especially with the bus rapid transit."
The talks come now that there is a framework in place between the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute to begin testing the emerging automotive technologies on the state highway system. It allows TTI to test lab-proven technologies in a real-world environment.
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