A few hundred self-driving cars are undergoing testing on American roads today, using advanced technology to journey down highways, stop at red lights, and avoid pedestrians and cyclists—except when they don’t. More than 60 companies are registered to test in California alone, though just 28 tested on state roads last year.
Exactly how many vehicles are testing, where they’re doing it, and how those cars are performing is mostly anyone’s guess. In many states, companies experimenting with autonomous vehicles don’t have to specify, and the federal government doesn’t keep track either. Yes, the tech is still very much under development, and industry reps and experts say it’s way too early to create some kind of robot self-driver’s license exam. But two meetings in Washington, DC, last week made clear that some believe regulators aren’t properly overseeing the testing of this technology.
