Ohio bill would set statewide rules for driverless cars

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A proposed Ohio law would set statewide rules for driverless cars, and people in Cleveland have mixed feelings about them.

Some people may have seen driverless cars in California or Arizona. House Bill 1034 would set statewide rules for them in Ohio. State Rep. Adam Holmes introduced the bill last week.

What House Bill 1034 would do

“We thought that before it really was established and demand grew too much in Ohio, let’s establish rails and protections and some sort of framework to establish how they’re operating in the state,” Holmes said.

Under the bill, the car’s owner would be responsible for traffic violations if no human is driving. Ride companies would have to carry at least $1 million in insurance while carrying passengers.

Residents share mixed views

One person said, “I’d prefer not to have a machine on the road making decisions, you know, when we should be doing it.”

Another person said, “Yeah, I think I’d be open to getting in one. They seem pretty cool.”

Preston Espinosa said he would take the risk. “But I would take one chance, and ride with it one time, it’s like jumping out of a plane,” he said.

Cedric Hunt said he thought of taxi drivers. “Also, we’re talking about jobs. We need jobs. And so now, a machine taking jobs? I don’t think so,” he said.

Holmes: ‘A preparation type of bill’

Holmes called House Bill 1034 “a preparation type of bill.” He said he understands those concerns.

“We agree with those folks and we wouldn’t want anyone to have any anxiety about getting into an autonomous vehicle before it was thoroughly safe,” Holmes said.

But Holmes said Ohio winter’s could be a problem for these cars.

“We don’t really have a lot of data on how they might work in Ohio snow and rain.”

Current testing in Ohio

The state’s DriveOhio program already tests self-driving technology, including driverless semi trucks. There is no word on whether people could ride in a driverless car anytime soon.

House Bill 1034 has been introduced, but no votes have been taken.