Waymo Gets Driverless Car Testing Permit For California Public Roads

Waymo has been given permission by the California DMV to conduct self-driving car tests on public roads. The company announced its new permit today, saying this is the first permit in the state that authorizes this type of testing. This follows almost a decade of testing in California, according to Waymo, which has been testing driverless cars in Arizona since 2017.

Earlier this month, Waymo CEO John Krafcik announced that the company had passed 10 million miles of driverless car testing on public roads. California's new permit for the company follows this, it being the result of the state's new DMV regulations. Under them, companies like Waymo can apply for self-driving car permits for specific activities.

The cars will be tested on public roads in areas of Mountain View, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills, according to the company. Waymo says it will alert communities in which it plans to expand driverless testing in the future, as well as submitting a request to do so to the California DMV.

Under the new DMV permit, Waymo is authorized to conduct day and night driverless car testing on rural roads, city streets, as well as highways that have speed limits up to 65MPH. The company is allowed to conduct the testing in conditions that includes light rain and fog.

The Waymo team will be the first people to enjoy these driverless rides, though the company says it will eventually "create opportunities" for the public to experience them, as well. The company has already introduced something similar in Arizona, where it has been testing the cars for months.

SOURCE: Waymo