The pursuit for safety on the road is always seems to show no end. When we look at the safety of our roads, many wonder what is too safe and what isn't safe enough. Finding the sweet spot between the two seems to be an impossible task despite how long a particular country has had driving laws for. With every year, something hew happens, something big enough to change the driving safety scene for many to see. Unfortunately, this new year started with an incident involving Uber, the very popular company responsible for sending transportation your way.
Normally, when we get an upgrade to our technology, many of us revel in it. We celebrate the fact that we are able to break into a new frontier with a new piece of gadgetry or technology. Uber had its sights on enjoying this ride as well, but according to CNET, this might have been short-lived. Uber decided to present to the public its self-driving cars to make it easier for those who are in need of transportation. The only problem with this is that in order to do this, you need a permit of the state, which Uber did not have.
Phil Tang, an assembly member, introduced a state bill that would help the DMV crack down on companies that would illegally operate autonomous vehicles without a permit, as reported by newforthegigeconomy.com. The bill would authorize the DMV to allow police to impound vehicles without the perments and would allow the companies to fined up to $25,000 for each vehicle on each day of said violation. In addition, the DMV will also be allowed to prohibit those companies violating the law from applying for an autonomous vehicle for two years. That being said, the current law only gives companies that operate self-driving cars without permits an infraction. Despite the increase and upgrades in our technology, safety always takes precedence above all else.
