US government outlines its policy on self-driving cars

It's not out of the realm of possibility for fully self-driving cars to hit public roads in the next few years, what with Google, Tesla, Uber and other big-name companies working on the technology. Now, the US government has officially thrown its weight behind the technology and released a Federal Automated Vehicles policy. In it, the Department of Transportation outlines a set of 15 safety assessment objectives manufacturers have to meet to ensure their vehicles can meet regulators' requirements. It also clarifies the division of state and federal responsibilities, as well as the regulatory tools the DOT plans to use. According to the department, the policy is "rooted in [its] view that automated vehicles hold enormous potential benefits for safety, mobility and sustainability."