California Slows Down Self Driving Car Revolution -Google

California has drafted a new set of laws which look to to slow down the public deployment of fully autonomous (self-driving) cars in the American state.

The new rules have proposed as a draft by California's Department of Motor Vehicles on December 16, set outs a set of guidelines for manufacturers to follow if they want to offer autonomous driving cars to the public.

The new rules call for a licensed driver to be present in the car so that he/she can take control of the vehicle in case of a breakdown, which means the presence of a steering wheel and the throttle and brake pedals. They also state that any accidents that occur will be responsible for all traffic violations that occur while operating the autonomous vehicle.

The new laws haven't gone down well with Silicon Valley giant Google, who are planning to launch their own automated taxi service to rival Uber.

In an email to autonews, Google spokesperson Johnny Luu stated that Google was "gravely disappointed that California is already writing a ceiling on the potential for fully self-driving cars to help all of us who live here."