The Office of Administrative Law in California, US, has approved new regulations that will allow driverless testing and use of autonomous vehicles in the state.

Announced by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the new regulations are set to become effective from 2 April this year.

Before introduction of these new regulations, autonomous vehicle testing can be conducted in California with an approved driver.

DMV director Jean Shiomoto said: “This is a major step forward for autonomous technology in California.

“Safety is our top concern and we are ready to begin working with manufacturers that are prepared to test fully driverless vehicles in California.”

To date, 50 manufacturers in California have a permit to test autonomous vehicles with a driver.

“Safety is our top concern and we are ready to begin working with manufacturers that are prepared to test fully driverless vehicles in California.”

The new regulations require the manufacturers to procure a new driverless testing and/or a deployment permit from the DMV, as well as comply with the permit requirements.

In order to carry out driverless testing of autonomous vehicles, the manufacturer needs to provide written notification to the local authorities where the vehicles will be tested.

The autonomous test vehicle also needs to be certified that it has a communication link with a remote operator.

The vehicle should fulfil all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) or provide evidence of an exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as well as meet the autonomous technology description of a Level 4 or Level 5 under the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) definitions.

The new regulations exclude testing and deployment of autonomous trucks and other commercial vehicles.