---
title: "Michigan’s New Laws Put Self-Driving Cars on Road Without Human Drivers"
description: "Michigan has officially become the first state to adopt legislation dealing with the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles. While the legislation is a huge step forward for autonomous vehicles, many experts are calling for uniform federal laws to avoid a patchwork of state-to-state regulations."
date: "2016-12-12"
modified: "2017-01-18"
authors:
  - name: "Cecille De Jesus"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/cecille"
url: "https://futurism.com/michigans-new-laws-put-self-driving-cars-on-road-without-human-drivers"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
  - "Self-Driving Vehicles"
tags:
  - "michigan"
  - "rick snyder"
  - "Self-driving cars"
---

# Michigan’s New Laws Put Self-Driving Cars on Road Without Human Drivers

![michigan rick snyder self-driving cars](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/autonomous-car.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Volvo\</em\>*

Last month, Michigan passed a bill that would allow trucks to travel in [electronically synchronized groups](<https://futurism.com/get-ready-fleets-of-autonomous-cars-could-soon-be-coming-to-a-state-near-you>) or “platooning.” This [bill has now been signed](<http://www.businessinsider.com/driverless-car-regulations-michigan-2016-12>) by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder at the Automotive Hall of Fame last Friday. The bill also includes legalization of testing self-driving cars without a supervising human in the driver’s seat, and without human driving interfaces such as a steering wheel and brake pedal. Ride-sharing services are also allowed to deploy self-driving cars to their customers once they are tested and certified.

This makes Michigan the first state to welcome self-driving cars onto their streets with laws that enable their testing, use, and eventual sale upon certification.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKduQC8wNu4

Michigan has taken upon itself to cradle the advancement of the self-driving vehicle industry. The state is currently developing a 335-acre self-driving vehicle research and testing site. There is already [a 32-acre site](<http://www.mtc.umich.edu/test-facility>), called Mcity, in the North Campus of the University of Michigan that has been dedicated as a test facility for running automated vehicles. Unsurprisingly, several automated car makers have chosen to set camp in the state.

However, although this is a big win for the self-driving car industry, manufacturers are still advocating for a [unified set of regulations](<http://www.selfdrivingcoalition.org/newsroom/press-releases/self-driving-coalition-submits-response-to-nhtsa-autonomous-vehicles-guidance>) to be drafted by the federal government, rather than inconsistent and [varying laws per state](<http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/wiki/index.php/Automated_Driving:_Legislative_and_Regulatory_Action>).

### Author social links  
[Facebook](<http://facebook.com/thescientress>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://ph.linkedin.com/in/cecillebautistadejesus>)