(April 6, 2017) NEW YORK — Public highways in New York could soon be open to testing self-driving cars according to a measure in the budget New York State lawmakers are negotiating in Albany. New York's decades-old state law requiring drivers to keep at least one hand on the wheel has kept self-driving cars off of the state's roadways. The budget measure would allow the change for autonomous car testing and demonstration.
 
The Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, which owns and operates the New York International Automobile Show, supports the measure and has been working closely with the Gov. Andrew Cuomo to allow the testing of autonomous vehicles in New York.

"Our involvement in the issue really began as we started to plan our Empire State of Mobility Conference for this year's New York Auto Show and we realized that we would not be able to have any real-time demonstrations of autonomous vehicles for government officials and the media. It just didn't make sense. The whole world looks to New York City as a place where trends begin and news is made, yet there was no provision for this important game-changing technology to be tested in the most populous and diverse city in the nation," said GNYADA president Mark Schienberg.

The New York Auto Show's Empire State of Mobility Conference takes place at the Jacob Javits Center on April 12 in advance of the 10-day public auto show.
 
Specifically, the conference will address how to fund and turn fundamental shifts in mobility into lucrative business opportunities, promote access to jobs, make logistics smarter, connect visitors, empower citizens and make transportation more sustainable.

"It is our belief that urban areas will be at the heart of the autonomous driving revolution and we want the automakers and emerging tech companies to view New York City as the center of research and development in this area," said Schienberg.