Google wants its self-driving cars to prowl Nevada streets, so it’s lobbying the state’s lawmakers to make its cars legal, and also give them exemptions from a distracted driver law that forbids text messaging while at the wheel.

The New York Times reports Google’s car-driving technology is in its testing phase. Google has equipped six Priuses and an Audi TT with various sensors and equipment. The testing program currently includes humans in the driver and passenger seats.

The company’s Las Vegas-based lobbyist insists the cars are safer and more fuel-efficient than those controlled by human drivers. Policy analysts cited in the story say the cards could be used for automated cabs on the strip, as well as for parking and deliveries.

Do you fear or welcome a future of computer-driven cars?

Google Lobbies Nevada To Allow Driverless Cars [The New York Times]

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