NJ S1677

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to establish a three-year pilot program allowing autonomous vehicle testers to operate fully autonomous vehicles (SAE level 4 or 5) in closed testbeds and open-road environments throughout the state.

A seven-member task force will oversee the program, including a public safety official, transportation expert, AV developer, insurance representative, consumer advocate, and two commission representatives, with responsibilities including quarterly reporting and developing collision response protocols.

Autonomous vehicle testers must register vehicles with the commission, maintain at least $5 million in liability insurance, and ensure a licensed operator is seated in the driver's seat capable of taking immediate manual control during all testing operations.

Vehicles must be equipped with redundant safety systems, crash-avoidance technology (pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist), cybersecurity protections, data recorders capturing 30 seconds before any collision, and visible markers identifying them as autonomous.

Commercial truck platooning is authorized on highways with a human-operated lead vehicle, while following trucks may operate fully autonomously; all AV collisions must be reported to the Department of Transportation within 48 hours.