California Grants Waymo First-Ever Permit for Fully Driverless Public Road Testing
The California DMV awards Waymo the state's first permit to test fully driverless vehicles on public roads without a human behind the wheel. This milestone expands the company's ongoing autonomous testing program into familiar Silicon Valley territory.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles grants Waymo the first permit in state history to test fully driverless cars on public roads. This landmark approval allows the company to operate its self-driving vehicles without a test driver sitting in the driver's seat. The permit stems from new DMV regulations that take effect in April and reflects nearly ten years of autonomous testing in California by the Waymo team.
Waymo integrates this new California authorization into its existing driverless testing program, which operates in Phoenix, Arizona. The initial testing territory covers familiar ground in Silicon Valley, including parts of Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, and Palo Alto. Before expanding beyond this limited territory, Waymo promises to notify local communities and submit a formal request to the DMV.
The permit allows for day and night testing on city streets, rural roads, and highways with speed limits up to 65 miles per hour. Waymo's vehicles are also cleared to drive in fog and light rain conditions. If a car encounters an unfamiliar situation, it safely comes to a stop until it understands how to proceed, ensuring a cautious approach as the company gradually expands its driverless operations.