BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH legislation being recently signed as a prerequisite for regulations and tests for the operation of driverless vehicles in the United States of America, it might just be a matter of time before such technology reaches the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis.
According to an article provided by the Associated Press (AP), published on September 26 on www.heraldnet.com, the legislation was signed on Tuesday (Sept. 25) by Governor Jerry Browne for the state of California.
The article explained that Google – which has a 12-strong fleet of autonomous vehicles – has been developing the technology and petitioning for the regulations to be passed into law.
Spelt out in the legislation is that regulations for the fully-automated vehicles are to be drafted by the California Department of Motor Vehicles by the start of January 2015.
Google’s vehicles are “most Priuses equipped with self-driving technology (and they have) logged more than 300 000 miles of self-driving without any accident…” the article quotes Google as saying.
Many welcome the development of the signing of the legislation and, according to developers, the vehicles “which use computers, sensors and other technology to operate independently” would actually contribute to road safety, especially with most accidents taking place as a result of human error.
Although fully automated, the driverless vehicles can be operated by human drivers at will, having overridden the autopilot function.
"I think the self-driving car can really dramatically improve the quality of life for everyone," the article quotes Google co-founder Sergei Brin as saying.
Conversely, however, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers was quick in voicing its apprehension concerning the legislation and the thrust in the direction of autonomous vehicles.
"Currently, autos are designed to be operated by people who carry the responsibility to maintain control and safely operate the vehicle…Unfortunately this legislation lacks any provision protecting an automaker whose car is converted to an autonomous operation vehicle without the consent or even knowledge of that auto manufacturer."
Would this new innovation be accessible to citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis? Not only accessible, but would it be conducive to the roads of St. Kitts and Nevis?
There is no telling how early or otherwise would this technology become a part of the lives of the people of our tiny Federation. However, as recently as November 2011, the first hybrid – a Toyota Prius – arrived in St. Kitts-Nevis. Although just a demo model, SKNVibes understands that these vehicles are expected to be sold by late 2013.
