Bill Text: NJ S1905 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires self-driving motor vehicles to be equipped with ignition interlock device.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-27 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S1905 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-S1905-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator PETER J. BARNES, III
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires self-driving motor vehicles to be equipped with ignition interlock device.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain motor vehicles and supplementing Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this act, "autonomous motor vehicle" means any self-driving vehicle that is capable of operating without active control or monitoring by a human operator.
b. Any autonomous motor vehicle sold in this State shall be equipped with an ignition interlock device. The ignition interlock device shall be installed in a manner that renders the motor vehicle inoperable if the driver is intoxicated.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires any autonomous motor vehicle sold in this State to be equipped with an ignition interlock device. The bill defines an "autonomous motor vehicle" as a self-driving vehicle that is capable of operating without active control or monitoring by a human operator. These vehicles also are known as driverless cars and robot cars.
Under the provisions of this bill, an autonomous motor vehicle could not be sold in New Jersey unless it was equipped with an ignition interlock device, which permits a motor vehicle to be started only when the driver is sober. The sponsor's intent is to prevent intoxicated drivers from using autonomous motor vehicles to evade State statutes prohibiting drunk driving.
