New York lawmakers approve self-driving car tests

Tucked into a state budget bill approved by lawmakers this week is a measure allowing autonomous vehicles on New York's highways, but it's limited to testing or demonstrations. A decades-old state law requiring drivers to keep at least one hand on the wheel has kept self-driving cars off of the state's roadways, despite Google and major automakers like Toyota and Volkswagen lobbying for a change in recent years. The budget measure changes that for autonomous car testing, while requiring all tests happen under the "direct supervision of the New York State Police." Related:Daimler's Mercedes, Bosch to deliver self-driving car by 2021 Related:Automakers seek relief on states' self-driving car laws A licensed driver must be in the car when it's on the road. The state Department of Motor Vehicles, meanwhile, has to approve any entity that wants to test the vehicles.