By Ryan Randazzo | The Republic
Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday moved to maintain Arizona’s status as the most permissive state for self-driving cars.
The governor issued a new executive order that makes it clear the robot cars don’t need a driver behind the wheel if they follow all the traditional traffic laws and rules for cars and drivers.
Ducey initially issued his permissive order in 2015, and since then, Uber, Waymo, General Motors and Intel have been testing self-driving cars on public roads in Arizona. Waymo even does so with no driver behind the wheel of the robot cars.
The executive order said that 600 autonomous cars with their telltale rooftop sensors and other equipment operate on public roads in Arizona today.
“Autonomous vehicles will be a mainstream mode of transportation in the future. This exciting AV technology will transform society, as has automation in manufacturing, aviation, and other industries. Governor’s Ducey’s encouragement of AV technology development in Arizona demonstrates foresight and capable leadership, as AV technology experts and others foresee the technology advancing road safety, the economy, and human growth generally.”
