Self-driving cars approved

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Tuesday that would allow self-driving cars on California’s roads.

“We are looking at science fiction becoming reality in a self-driving car,” Brown said at the bill-signing ceremony at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.

Tech giant Google Inc., the California Institute of Technology and other organizations have been working to develop such vehicles, which use radar, video cameras and lasers to navigate roads and stay safe in traffic without human assistance. Google has said computer-controlled cars should eventually drive more safely than humans.

“These vehicles have the potential to avoid accidents. We can save lives, create jobs and reduce congestion,” said Google co-founder Sergey Brin. “I expect that self-driving cars will be far safer than human driven cars.”

Brin said autonomous cars could be functional and safe for operation on public streets within a handful of years.

The bill, SB1298, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Alex Padilla, establishes guidelines for autonomous vehicles to be tested and operated in California.

“We are stepping on the accelerator when it comes to the Google car,” Padilla said.

Human error causes most traffic accidents, and autonomous technology can reduce the number of injuries and fatalities on California’s roads, he said.

Padilla believes self-driving cars also will improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles, reduce emissions and enable cars to talk to one another to improve traffic flow.

Self-driving cars must legally have a person at the wheel, ready to assume control if anything goes wrong.

Last year, similar legislation was signed into law in Nevada. In addition, Arizona, Hawaii, Florida and Oklahoma are considering autonomous-vehicle legislation.