Governor aims to make Florida ‘most autonomous friendly-state' in country

By RELAXNEWS | 18 June 2019


TALLAHASSEE: Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill late last week that would allow autonomous vehicles to be tested and operated without a backup human driver inside.

In January, "CS/HB 311: Autonomous Vehicles" was first filed.

The bill specifies, however, that a remote human operator who is monitoring the vehicle's activity is required.

According to the governor's staff, this bill eliminates "unnecessary obstacles" that slow the technological advancement of autonomous vehicles and therefore hinder the development of smart cities.

CS/HB 311 also outlines insurance and vehicle functionality requirements to operate said cars as well as lays out the laws regarding autonomous vehicles in a uniform fashion.

The bill will officially go into effect on July 1.

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