Ohio Governor John Kasich made history on Wednesday, when he signed an order allowing so-called autonomous vehicles on all roads in Ohio.
The move makes it perfectly legal for cars to operate without drivers, so long as developers sign up through “DriveOhio,” a new state office that regulates them. They must also follow all traffic laws.
The state already allows the testing of driverless trucks moving freight in areas where fiber-optic lines can track them.
In the meantime, car companies are not waiting for permission to move forward.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class now has a drive-pilot system that assists steering and follows traffic up to 130-miles-per hour.
The Volvo S 90 can speed up, slow down, stop and steer on its own.
Drivers in the Tesla Model S do not even have to be in the car to park it, while the Chevy Malibu can automatically brake and keep the car from wandering out of its lane.
Kasich believes the technology will ultimately cut down on car crashes.
Still, there have been accidents. In March, a self-driving Uber killed a woman in Arizona, even though there was a driver behind the wheel.
The company has been testing the cars in a pilot program in cities which include Pittsburgh, where there have been no collisions reported involving self-driving cars.