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takyon writes:

Several tech companies have submitted comments to the California DMV, seeking changes to the current self-driving car policies:

The companies [Apple, Alphabet's Waymo, Tesla] -- along with dozens of other organizations like Lyft, Uber, Ford and Toyota -- submitted comments to the Department of Motor Vehicles, which were then posted online. The suggestions range the gamut from deciding when a driver should have to take control of the autonomous vehicle to recommending paying customers be allowed to ride in self-driving cars.

[...] Apple -- in its letter signed by Steve Kenner, its director of product integrity -- said it's "investing heavily in the study of machine learning and automation, and is excited about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation." It wants to see changes to three California policies related to "disengagement reporting," definitions, and testing without safety drivers.

One of Apple's criticisms focused on current and proposed disengagement reporting requirements, which explain when a driver has to take control of the self-driving car. Apple said the metric isn't transparent enough to make consumers comfortable with the technology. The company believes the correct metric for evaluating automated vehicles should include data on successfully prevented crashes and traffic rule violations.

Also at AppleInsider.

Original Submission