Michigan Legislation Paves Way for Self-Driving Cars

CARS.COM — Michigan is already the U.S. carmaker capital, and now it wants to drive the future of autonomous vehicles. Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law a bill that lays out comprehensive plans for the introduction of self-driving cars to the public — from the testing phase all the way to the point of sale.

Related: Automakers Work Toward Self-Driving Cars, Disagree on How to Get There

According to Bloomberg, the law defines how self-driving cars can be used on public roads in testing and commercial deployment. The Michigan Economic Development Corp. said in a statement that the legislation allows public-road testing of vehicles without steering wheels, or gas or brake pedals, or any need for human control. It also permits companies to operate driverless ride-sharing services and provides guidelines for selling autonomous cars to the public once the technology has received final certification.

The move aims to keep the Wolverine State competitive with the autonomous-driving aspirations of Silicon Valley giants such as Google, Apple and Uber. The effort includes the development of a 335-acre testing facility and University of Michigan campus proving grounds. Lawmakers, Bloomberg stated, sought input from major automakers such as GM, Ford, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Toyota in crafting the legislation so as to accommodate evolution of the industry.

Get the full Bloomberg story via The Detroit News here.