The
Senate Economic Development and International Investment Committee approved
several bills to modernize guidelines for driverless vehicle research and operation
within Michigan law on Wednesday.
SB
995, SB
996, SB
997, and SB
998 were discussed during a hearing held at Nexteer Automotive in Saginaw.
The package permits companies to operate a driverless vehicle on public roads
as long as an operator can control and supervise the vehicle, and authorizes
the development of the American Center for Mobility at the Willow Run Bomber
Plant in Ypsilanti. The bills also require standards for the vehicles and data
collection/feedback from crashes of vehicles in a fleet for further research.
Committee
chair Senator Ken Horn (R-Frankenmuth) commented that Michigan has always been
known for its automotive research and development, and pioneering in autonomous
vehicles will help retain that reputation.