Close-Up Look At Google's Self-Driving Car

WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. AND THE STORY ON THE DEAD AND. ALL THAT. HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY WEEKEND.

THANKS. 6:44 NOW. GOOGLE'S LATEST VERSION OF A. SELF-DRIVING CAR IS HITTING THE.

STREETS OF MOUNTAIN VIEW. ONLY ON "5" KIET DO SHOWS US. THE PROTOTYPE IN ACTION. Reporter: I HAVE SEEN THE.

FUTURE OF SELF-DRIVING CARS AND. IT IS ADORABLE. GOOGLE'S NEXT GENERATION OF. AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES BEGAN.

TESTING LAST WEEK IN MOUNTAIN. VIEW. THE POD CAR IS SLEEK WITH A. BLACK SENSOR ON TOP.

COMPARE THAT TO THE OLD FLEET. OF LEXUS SUVs WITH SENSORS. EVERYWHERE. THE NEW POD CAR HAS NO TRUNK.

AND STEERING WHEEL GAS AND. BRAKE PEDALS ALL REMOVABLE. POD CAR IS VERY CAUTIOUS. TOP SPEED IS LIMITED TO 25 MILES AN HOUR.

WE SAW THEM COME TO FULL STOPS. RIGHT ON THE LINE. FOR SOME REASON, THIS ONE WAS. DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE.

LANE AS IT CRUISED THROUGH A. NEIGHBORHOOD. GOOGLE ALSO RELEASED MORE ABOUT. WHAT THE CAR SEES WITH ITS.

SPINNING RADAR. IT TRACKS AND CALCULATES THE. PATH OF EVERY MOVING OBJECT. MAKING EVASIVE MANEUVERS WHEN.

NECESSARY. IT CAN EVEN RECOGNIZE A HAND. SIGNAL OF A POLICE OFFICER. OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS, GOOGLE.

HAS AMASSED A VAST DATABASE OF. SHAPES OF PEDESTRIANS TO HELP. THE COMPUTER MAKE SENSE OF THE. WORLD AROUND IT.

FOR YEARS, GOOGLE STAYED TIGHT- LIPPED ABOUT CRASHES. THIS PHOTO FROM 2011 WAS ONE OF. THE FEW FENDER-BENDERS EVER. CAPTURED ON CAMERA.

BUT THANKS TO A NEW STATE LAW, COMPANIES MUST NOW USE THIS. FORM TO REPORT ALL ACCIDENTS TO. THE DMV. GOOGLE TOOK IT ONE STEP FURTHER.

AND NOW PUBLISHES MONTHLY CRASH. REPORTS ONLINE. IN SIX YEARS AND MORE THAN A. MILLION MILES IN AUTONOMOUS.

MODE GOOGLE HAS BEEN INVOLVED. IN 15 ACCIDENTS NONE OF THEM. THE FAULT OF THE COMPUTER. IN EACH INSTANCE THE PASSENGER.

WAS THERE TO EXCHANGE. INFORMATION. WHOEVER IS IN COMMAND AND. CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE THAT'S.

THE DRIVER. SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME THEY. ARE STILL TECHNICALLY A DRIVER. IN THE VEHICLES SO THAT'S WHO.

WE WOULD LIST IN A COLLISION. Reporter: BUT WHAT IF IT. CRASHES AND THERE'S NO HUMAN. INSIDE AT ALL? BMW SHOWS IT'S A CAR THAT CAN.

PARK ITSELF AND COMES TO YOU. WHEN YOU CALL IT. WHO IS TO BLAME IN A WRECK IN. THE EMPTY CAR, THE OPERATOR, THE MANUFACTURER? THERE'S NO GOOD ANSWER RIGHT.

NOW? NO ONE REALLY HAS A PRECISE. ANSWER. THIS IS -- AS WE GO ALONG, WE'RE STARTING TO FIGURE OUT. WHAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE.

Reporter: THE DMV TELLS US, THEY ARE WORKING ON IT. IT'S OBVIOUS THE TECHNOLOGY IS. WAY AHEAD OF THE LAW. HERE'S HOW CHRIS HEAD OF.

GOOGLE'S SELF-DRIVING CAR. PROGRAM ENDED HIS TED TALK. EARLIER THIS YEAR. HOW SOON CAN WE BRING IT.

OUT? IT'S HARD TO SAY BECAUSE OF A. COMPLICATED PROBLEM. BUT THESE ARE MY TWO BOYS. MY OLDEST SON IS 11.

THAT MEANS IN 4.5 YEAR, HE IS. GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET HIS. DRIVER'S LICENSE. MY TEAM AND I ARE COMMITTED TO.

MAKING SURE THAT DOESN'T. HAPPEN. THANK YOU. [ LAUGHTER ] Reporter: WE ARE BACK OUT.

HERE LIVE AT GOOGLE X THE. COMPANY'S SECRET RESEARCH. DIVISION AT THE MAYFIELD MALL. THEY HAVE TWO POD CARS ON THE.

ROAD NOW BEFORE HE 25 REGISTERED. SO LOOK FOR MORE OVER THE NEXT. FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS. KIET, ADORABLE IS THE.

PERFECT ADJECTIVE FOR THAT ONE. BUT WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY ABOUT. LETTING A CAR DRIVE ITSELF ON A. PUBLIC ROAD? YES.

SO, RIGHT NOW IT IS ILLEGAL FOR. ANY COMPANY TO LET THESE CARS. ON A PUBLIC ROAD ALL BY. THEMSELVES.

THE DMV SAYS THEY ARE STILL. TRYING TO WORK OUT THE. REGULATIONS. THEY DON'T HAVE A TIME FRAME ON..