W. Va. Code § 17H-1-1
Short Title
This article may be cited as the “Fully Autonomous Vehicle Act”.
West Virginia Code Chapter 17H — Fully Autonomous Vehicle Act
West Virginia · statute · W. Va. Code ch. 17H · 14 active provisions
Provisions
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-2
Statement of intent and purpose
The Legislature finds that continuing advances in technology have improved and are expected to continue to improve the safety and operation of fully autonomous vehicles such that these vehicles should be legally permitted to be operated in West Virginia pursuant to the provisions of this act.
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-3
Definitions
The following words and phrases when used in this article shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the meanings given to them in this section. “Automated driving system” or “ADS” means the hardware and software that are collectively capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task on a sustained…
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-4
Construction
Nothing in this article shall be construed to: (1) Prohibit a human driver from operating a fully autonomous vehicle to control all or part of the DDT; (2) Prohibit a fully autonomous vehicle from operating without a human driver; or (3) Prohibit a person from operating a vehicle with ADS that is not a fully autonomous…
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-5
Operation of fully autonomous vehicles without a human driver
(a) A person may operate a fully autonomous vehicle on the public roads of this state without a human driver provided that the ADS is engaged and the vehicle meets the following conditions: (1) If a failure of the ADS occurs which renders the system unable to perform the entire dynamic driving task (DDT) relevant to it…
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-6
Operation of a fully autonomous motor vehicle with an ADS by a human driver
(a) A person may operate a motor vehicle equipped with an ADS capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task (DDT) if: (1) The ADS will issue a request to intervene whenever the ADS is not capable of performing the entire DDT, with the expectation that the person will respond appropriately to the request; and (2…
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-7
Operation of fully autonomous commercial and motor carrier vehicles
(a) A fully autonomous vehicle that is also a commercial vehicle under West Virginia law may operate pursuant to state laws governing the operation of commercial motor vehicles, except that any provision that by its nature reasonably applies only to a human driver does not apply to a vehicle operating with the ADS enga…
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-8
Operation of an on-demand autonomous motor vehicle network
An on-demand autonomous motor vehicle network shall be permitted to operate pursuant to State laws governing the operation of transportation network companies, taxis, or any other ground transportation for-hire of passengers, with the exception that any provision of such laws that reasonably applies only to a human dri…
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-9
Licensing, titling, and registration
(a) When an automated driving system (ADS) installed on a motor vehicle is engaged: (1) The ADS is considered the driver or operator for the purpose of assessing compliance with applicable traffic or motor vehicle laws and shall be considered to satisfy electronically all physical acts required by a driver or operator…
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-10
Insurance
Before operating a fully autonomous motor vehicle on public roads in this state without a human driver, a person shall submit proof of financial responsibility satisfactory to the Department of Motor Vehicles that the fully autonomous vehicle is covered by insurance or proof of self-insurance that satisfy the applicabl…
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-11
Control
(a) Unless otherwise provided in this article and notwithstanding any other provision of this code, fully autonomous vehicles and automated driving systems are governed exclusively by this article. The Department of Transportation is the sole and exclusive state agency that may implement the provisions of this article.…
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-12
Platooning
(a) General rule. The department shall be the lead state agency on fully autonomous vehicle platooning under this section. (b) Platoon restrictions. A platoon shall observe the following restrictions: (1) A maximum of three vehicles shall be in a platoon; (2) Vehicles in a platoon shall travel only on limited access hi…
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-13
Fully autonomous vehicles not exempt from state laws pertaining to ownership
Unless expressly stated in this section, fully autonomous vehicles, whether traveling individually or in a platoon, are not exempt from any other laws or rules applicable to the ownership and operation of any non-fully autonomous vehicle in this state.
W. Va. Code § 17H-1-14
Duties following crashes involving fully autonomous vehicles
In the event of a crash: (1) The fully autonomous vehicle shall remain at the scene of the accident when required by State law consistent with its capability under §17H-1-5; and (2) The owner of the highly automated motor vehicle, or a person on behalf of the vehicle owner, shall promptly report any crashes or collisio…