That’s a good question, said Anne Ferro, president and CEO of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.  Ferro is the de facto spokesman for the DMV everywhere.

Questions about driverless cars are head-scratchers.  How do you issue a driver’s license to a driverless car?  To whom is it registered and what about the title?   How does law enforcement and first responders know about the driver of a car when there isn’t one?

If that’s complex, the existing role of the DMV is simple, Ferro said.

“We’re hoping that our customer stays on the road safely,” said Ferro, who is a proponent of AV technology.  “The mobility and safety gained by autonomous vehicles promises a brighter future.”

Ferro also supports real-time testing. “Our public roadways are our living treasures.”

Ferro was also among those who advocated collaboration and the sharing of information in order to make the autonomous technology revolution transition go as smoothly and as safely as possible.

“That way, we can ensure the public that it’s safe,” she said.

Ferro feels a more complete transition to driverless vehicles by the public may be two decades off, but she believes that’s simply more time to convince many others of the safety of the technology.

Part 1: Velodyne LiDAR’s Safety Summit
Part 2: Let’s get it started
Part 3: Look, up in the sky!
Part 4: It’s a learning process
Part 5: And now, what about the DMV?
Part 6: Regulations. Responsibility
Part 7: Watch what you drink
Part 8: The driverless car rides
Part 9: That’s a wrap