California set out policies for Google's driverless cars

Google has been struggling to bring driverless cars on roads. But California has set out rules regarding it, which Google is not ready to accept wholeheartedly.

According to Recode, on Wednesday, California announced its first-ever regulations for self-driving cars, which has displeased Google a lot. Previously in the last year, the rules for the autonomous vehicle testing were set out. And now, draft rules are issued by California's Department of Motor Vehicles to actually run the driverless cars.

Google, however, expected some regulations from the government like requiring manufacturers to receive certification and pass certain cyber security thresholds. But the rule of must presence of the licensed driver in the front seat all the time was a big setback for the company.

Google's self-driving car unit released a statement, "In developing vehicles that can take anyone from A to B at the push of a button, we're hoping to transform mobility for millions of people, whether by reducing the 94 percent of accidents caused by human error or bringing everyday destinations within reach of those who might otherwise be excluded by their inability to drive a car."

It also added that "Safety is our highest priority and primary motivator as we do this. We're gravely disappointed that California is already writing a ceiling on the potential for fully self-driving cars to help all of us who live here."

California is labeled as the largest auto market present in the U.S. And in the development of self-driving technology, its rules will become a landmark as mentioned by CNBC.

Draft rules released mentioned that Google has to pass through a series of steps even if it thinks that its vehicle is ready to be used. A permit of three years will be provided to the manufacturers. Under it, the consumer will lease the cars, but manufacturers would be needed to keep check and balance on safe driving and provide constant reports to the state.

Moreover, both the manufacturer and an independent certifier need to verify the safety test passed by the car before the permit is granted. A person willing to own the vehicle will be specially trained by the manufacturer first and then will be provided with the special certification on their driver's license.

The agency wrote in a summary of the regulations, as reported by Global News, "Given the potential risks associated with deployment of such a new technology, DMV believes that manufacturers need to obtain more experience in testing driverless vehicles on public roads prior to making this technology available to the general public,"

There is no set date for the cars to hit the roads, but on seeing the rules finalized by the DMV and manufacturer passing safety requirements, the estimated year can be 2017. The draft rules are expected to delay the rollout of technology in California.