W. Va. To Allow Autonomous Vehicles Starting June 10

A law allowing driverless vehicles, including commercial ones, on West Virginia roads goes into effect June 10.

Gov. Jim Justice signed the Fully Autonomous Vehicle Act into law in March.

The legislation states a fully autonomous vehicle may operate on public roads without a human driver as long as the automated driving system (ADS) is engaged.

When the system is engaged, it is considered to be licensed to operate the vehicle, according to the legislation.

To ensure compliance, the driver’s license and registration card must be in the vehicle physically or electronically, and available for inspection by a police officer, the law states.

The vehicle owner must submit a law enforcement interaction plan describing how to communicate with a fleet support specialist and how to safety remove the vehicle from the roadway in case the ADS fails.

That plan also must describe how to recognize if the vehicle is in autonomous mode and include any information the owner or manufacturer considers necessary regarding hazardous conditions or public safety risks associated with operating the vehicle.

If a crash occurs, the vehicle must remain at the scene, the law states. The owner of the vehicle, or a person acting on their behalf, also must report the accident promptly.