Bill

Bill > A1609


NJ A1609

Clarifies that owners of self-driving motor vehicles must comply with existing insurance requirements.


summary

Introduced
01/14/2020
In Committee
01/14/2020
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/11/2022

Introduced Session

2020-2021 Regular Session

Bill Summary

This bill clarifies that, for the purposes of insurance, a self-driving car must comply with compulsory automobile and motor vehicle insurance requirements. Current law provides, with certain limited exceptions, that every owner or registered owner of a motor vehicle registered or principally garaged in this State shall maintain motor vehicle liability insurance coverage. This bill clarifies that this mandate includes self-driving motor vehicles that are capable of operating without active control or monitoring by a human operator. Further, the "New Jersey Automobile Reparation Reform Act," P.L.1972, c.70 (C.39:6A-1 et seq.) created a system of "no-fault" insurance for private passenger automobiles. The bill amends the definition of "automobile" under that act to include a self-driving private passenger automobile which meets any SAE automation level as defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The bill also defines a "self-driving private passenger automobile" to mean a private passenger automobile that uses autonomous technology, including sensors, global positioning system coordinates, or any other technology to perform the mechanical operations of driving, and has an operator seated in the driver's seat, monitoring the safe operation of the autonomous vehicle, and who is capable of taking over immediate manual control of the autonomous vehicle in the event of an autonomous technology failure or other emergency. Therefore, the bill extends the requirements of the New Jersey Automobile Reparation Reform Act to self-driving cars, including the requirement for owners and registrants to maintain liability insurance and the requirement that applicable insurance policies include personal injury protection benefits.

AI Summary

This bill clarifies that owners of self-driving motor vehicles must comply with existing insurance requirements. Specifically, it amends the definition of "automobile" in the New Jersey Automobile Reparation Reform Act to include self-driving private passenger automobiles, which are defined as vehicles that use autonomous technology to perform the mechanical operations of driving. This means that the Act's requirements, such as the mandate for owners to maintain liability insurance and the provision of personal injury protection benefits, now apply to self-driving cars. The bill aims to ensure that the existing insurance framework adequately covers the use of self-driving vehicles in New Jersey.

Committee Categories

Business and Industry

Sponsors (4)

Last Action

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee (on 01/14/2020)

bill text


bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Loading...
Loading...