The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has written a letter to Uber, and ordered the company to take its self-driving vehicles off the road, as the vehicle was caught running red lights.

Responding to the letter, Uber said that it was a ‘human error ‘.

In its letter to Uber, DMV was quoted by The Guardian as saying that: “It is essential that Uber takes appropriate measures to ensure safety of the public.

“If Uber does not confirm immediately that it will stop its launch and seek a testing permit, DMV will initiate legal action.”

DMV further explained that Uber has confronted government officials and started piloting the cars in San Francisco roads without any official permits.

An Uber spokesperson revealed that the red-light violations were due to the mistakes by the car drivers, who was supposed to sit behind the steering wheel, which he failed to do so, and the company has taken stern action against the driver by immediately suspending him from his duties.

Uber noted that it did not believe it needed a 'testing permit' to launch self-driving vehicles in San Francisco, arguing that the rules don’t apply since the cars have people in them monitoring movements.

The company said in a statement that 'the rules apply to cars that can drive without someone controlling or monitoring them'.

Uber advanced technology group head Anthony Levandowski was quoted by theguardian.com as saying: “Most states see the potential benefits, especially when it comes to road safety.”

DMV deputy director Brian Soublet in his letter to Levandowski noted that 20 companies have already been approved to test self-driving vehicles in California.

Soublet further added: “They are obeying the law and are responsibly testing and advancing their technology.

“This technology holds the promise of true safety benefits on our roadways, but must be tested responsibly.”

"If Uber does not confirm immediately that it will stop its launch and seek a testing permit, DMV will initiate legal action."

In September this year, Uber had unveiled its first self-driving vehicle in Pittsburgh.

The vehicles were equipped with technology, which allowed them to navigate on their own to the destination set by the passenger.

These vehicles also had licensed drivers sitting behind the steering wheel, to take control over the car if situations demanded.

Image: Uber's Volvo XC90s in San Francisco. Photo: courtesy of Uber