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Testing Of Driverless Vehicles On PA Roads Could Begin Next Year

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - PennDOT officials say if necessary legislation is passed, testing of vehicles with no one in the driver's seat on Pennsylvania roadways could begin as soon as next year.

PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards says a task force drawing up policies for safely testing self-driving vehicles on Pennsylvania roads is on track to make its recommendations in the fall.

Richards says there are a host of issues to be resolved, including who is the driver?...

"Are we talking about the human operator who is the driver and responsible for the vehicle, or is it the self-driving system inside the car?"

At the moment, testing of autonomous vehicles with a human behind the wheel is already occurring on Pennsylvania roads. But if legislation is passed, you could, as soon as next year, find yourself driving alongside a vehicle in test mode with no one in driver's seat… or with no wheel at all.

One major point of discussion at Wednesday's task force meeting was whether such vehicles would be marked, and if so, how?

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