Let's drive to the future, but not too fast

More than 40 years ago, the television show “Knight Rider” introduced us to KITT — a self-driving, talking Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that became David Hasselhoff’s crime-fighting sidekick.

Now a version of such futuristic autonomous vehicles could soon be traversing Long Island’s roads.

Companies like Waymo — a division of Google’s parent, Alphabet — have brought self-driving cars to cities like San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles, where residents can “summon” driverless vehicles using the company’s app. In some places, those ordering food on Uber Eats can have it delivered via a driverless car, using their phones to pop the trunk and get their food. Other autonomous vehicle efforts, like Zoox, owned by Amazon, and Robotaxi, owned by Tesla, are moving forward, too.

New York could be next. In the executive budget, Gov. Kathy Hochul presented last month a proposed pilot program for testing autonomous vehicles on local roads outside New York City. After a year of testing, self-driving cars could then be used as taxis for paying customers. The testing could start immediately after the budget is approved, which usually happens in April.

The legislation, which would only involve for-hire vehicles, does not specify if pilot locations would include Long Island, leaving that and other details up to the companies themselves, and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The notion of self-driving vehicles on Long Island streets is an intriguing and promising one, full of legitimate hopes and fears. In a region known for its dangerous roads, where speeding and drunken or distracted driving is unfortunately ubiquitous, autonomous vehicles might help curb bad behavior and make streets safer. Seniors hoping to stay on Long Island without needing a car could particularly benefit from a cheap ride.

But there are warnings and roadblocks ahead, too. Waymo vehicles elsewhere have had difficulty navigating more complex situations, such as construction or, particularly relevant recently, black ice and snow. Just last month, a self-driving vehicle traveling near an elementary school hit a child pedestrian in Santa Monica, California, causing minor injuries. While the vehicles continue to get smarter, and Waymo claims its cars have had far fewer crashes than human drivers, there’s still a lot for them — and us — to learn.

It’d be wise for Hochul and state lawmakers to hold hearings and proceed with care on what will be allowed in the test period. Independent studies would help, and the companies offering such cars must provide more of their own crash and fault-related data. Input from local officials and communities is critical. And the state must issue detailed regulations and provide full oversight. All of that can’t fall in place in just a few months.

We’re still some years away from a futuristic movie setting, where our cars are driving us. But as we start down this road, we must drive carefully.