【2005 Archives】

California has handed Waymo the first permit to test fully driverless cars in the state.

While Waymo005 Archives part of Google's parent company Alphabet, has been allowed to test autonomous vehicles with a driver since 2014, the new permit allows the company to test cars without drivers.

SEE ALSO: Volkswagen and Intel team up for Israel's first self-driving car service

Waymo will be allowed to test its three dozen driverless cars on public roads, including freeways, highways and streets.

Testing will take place near Waymo headquarters, with permission to drive in Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, and Sunnyvale, in Santa Clara County.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The company can test day or night, in fog and light rain conditions, and will be able to go on roads with a posted speed limit of up to 65 miles per hour (104 kilometers per hour).

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

"California has been working toward this milestone for several years, and we will continue to keep the public’s safety in mind as this technology evolves," California Department of Motor Vehicles Director Jean Shiomoto said in a statement.

Waymo will initially only let members of its team ride in its driverless cars, but will eventually allow the public to experience them, as it's done so in Arizona with the early rider program.

Since April, California has had regulations allowing companies to test cars without drivers on its roads, with the likes of Uber and Tesla set to join the fray.

A DMV spokesperson said one other company has submitted an application for driverless car testing, but it was returned because it was incomplete. There are currently 60 manufacturers allowed to test autonomous vehicles in California with a safety driver.

Driverless cars have been in the works for years, and it's now just around the corner for Californians.

---

Featured Video For You

---

These Lego-like bricks are actually robots that transform walls into kinetic surfaces

---

Topics Self-Driving Cars

• Entertainment
• Science
• Deals
• Tech
• Social Good
• Games
• Digital Culture
• Life

• Best Apple TV+ deal: Get 3 months for $2.99 monthly
• Instagram may be developing a Snap Map dupe
• The 9 funniest lines from a coal CEO's lawsuit against John Oliver
• IBM jumps into forecasting the weather exactly where you live
• Best tablet deal: Get the Google Pixel Tablet for $120 off at Amazon
• AT&T will give a $5 credit to customers for its major outage downtime
• Nintendo Switch 2 release date delayed? The new rumored launch window
• Best controller deal: Get the Razer Kishi V2 Mobile Controller for 17% off
• What's Thermal Throttling and How to Prevent It
• The 9 funniest lines from a coal CEO's lawsuit against John Oliver

• Please pause the Winter Olympics because Michael Phelps' wife just had another baby
• A tiny Shetland pony had a munch on Prince Harry's hand
• Xiaomi 11T Pro has a 108
• A full list of 2021 Emmy winners
• Let us remember how very bad presidential portraits were until the Obamas
• How to calm your nerves while watching the Olympics
• The Emmys made a support group for actors without awards: Watch
• The internet is enthralled by the Obamas' official portraits
• Superb Bichon Frise wins 'Best in Show' at Westminster Dog Show
• Watch how this snake moves ever so smoothly along a fence

• 8 Years Later: Does the GeForce GTX 580 Still Have Game in 2018?
• Here's Mike Pence touching space flight hardware you're clearly not supposed to touch
• Tennessee vs. TAMU basketball livestreams: Game time, streaming deals
• PSVR2 support for PC might happen soon
• Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: $40 off at Amazon
• Pence tries to jump in on the 'Do not touch' jokes after his NASA visit
• NYT's The Mini crossword answers for February 25
• The 'prelude' to the sixth mass extinction is happening right now
• Skype is finally shutting down
• LELO SIRI 3: LELO just launched a sound

• Comparing Team Communication Apps: What Do You Get for Free?
• Custom Snapchat Spectacles let divers explore deep underwater
• Nintendo Switch 2 release date delayed? The new rumored launch window
• This cute baby turtle photo is a sign of hope for southeast Asia
• Put Me In, Coach!
• This cute baby turtle photo is a sign of hope for southeast Asia
• UNC vs. UVA basketball livestreams: Game time, streaming deals
• PSVR2 support for PC might happen soon
• Episode 4: The Wave of the Future
• REI sale: Get up to 50% off camping and hiking gear