Autonomous vehicles: pilot project.

Existing law permits the operation of an autonomous vehicle on public roads for testing purposes if, among other requirements, a driver is seated in the driver's seat and is capable of taking immediate manual control of the vehicle in the event of an autonomous technology failure or other emergency. This bill would, notwithstanding the above provision, until 180 days after the operative date of regulations promulgated by the Department of Motor Vehicles to allow testing of autonomous vehicles without a driver in the vehicle, authorize the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to conduct a pilot project for the testing of autonomous vehicles that do not have a driver seated in the driver's seat and are not equipped with a steering wheel, a brake pedal, or an accelerator if the testing is conducted only at specified locations and the autonomous vehicle operates at speeds of less than 35 miles per hour. The bill would require the authority or a private entity, or a combination of the 2, to obtain an instrument of insurance, surety bond, or proof of self-insurance in an amount of $5,000,000 prior to the start of testing of any autonomous vehicle on or across a public road and would require evidence of the insurance, surety bond, or proof of self-insurance to be provided to the Department of Motor Vehicles in the form and manner required by the department. The bill would require the authority or a private entity, or a combination of the 2, to provide the department with a detailed description of the testing program, as specified. The bill would require the operator of the autonomous vehicle technology to disclose what personal information concerning a pilot project participant is collected by an autonomous vehicle. The bill would allow the department to require data collection for evaluating the safety of the vehicles, as provided.