In a highly noteworthy move which makes California one of the first US states to adopt a formal policy on self-driving cars, new rules governing the testing of self-driving vehicles on public roads have recently been approved by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Under the new rules approved by the California DMV this week, automakers manufacturing self-driving cars will have to clear a number of hurdles before they can get the final approval to test their autonomous vehicles on public roads in the state.

Automakers will have to get registered with the state before they can test their cars. The registration will require the automakers to identify the specific make and model of their self-driving car to be tested, as well as the model year, vehicle identification number, and license plate number of the vehicle.

The new rules - which will come into effect on September 16, 2014 - also require that each self-driving car has a driver sitting in the driver's seat when the car is tested on public roads, so that the vehicle can be controlled manually if something goes wrong.

Furthermore, the self-driving cars being tested can be operated only by drivers who have been identified to the DMV in writing. All such drivers must have clean driving records and should have successfully undergone a training program established by the manufacturer.