Germany is requiring autonomous cars to have 'black boxes,' similar to those in planes, to record details of untoward incidents. Germany's Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt's proposal is said to also include the requirement of riders to stay seated in front of the steering wheel, even if they don't have to steer the wheel or mind traffic. This follows after the recent Tesla Motors' autopilot-related accident.

Credit: REUTERS/BENOIT TESSIER

The proposal requires the boxes to record data when the self-driving mode is turned on. Specifically, the device will note when the driver turned on the self-driving feature and when the driver took over for manual driving. This is aimed to help identify who is at fault when an accident happens.

The proposal will be sent to other German legislative bodies this summer for approval.


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