When it comes to self-driving car technology, all signs point to it being a real possibility for the mass market. State officials from around the world are in disagreement whether or not motorists will still need a special licence to operate self-driving cars, and here's why...

You'll need more lessons.

Being in a self-driving car and letting it take you to your destination isn't as simple as getting in, pushing a few buttons and driving off. As self-driving cars are continuously being developed, you can expect bugs in the system - the sensors may fail, the car may suddenly stop and you could be left stranded, powerless and clueless about what to do next.

Knowing the rules of the road and the hazards we come across while in our vehicles - the lessons we learn in our theory test - would still be vital.

Officials in the state of California in the United States have been drawing up regulations for the operation of self-driving cars. Part of these regulations may require motorists (can they still be called drivers?) to undergo additional instruction as well as evaluation before they are allowed to use autonomous vehicles.

The officials are considering including some of the elements that manufacturers have in their test-driver training programmes as part of the driver training. Therefore, if you want to operate a self-driving car in California, you'll have to attend classroom lessons on self-driving car technology, in particular the abilities and limitations of an autonomous car. You will also sit through computer simulations of what could go wrong and participate in real-world driving sessions. After that, you can be certified and receive a licence to operate a driverless car.

Is it really necessary?

If you want to be prepared for whatever happens when you're in a self-driving car, then yes. For instance, in order for you to act accordingly when a sensor fails, you would need to understand how the system works, know how to override the system and take manual control of the car. The extent of training necessary would depend on the manufacturer's recommendation as well as the regulations set by your state or country.

To give you a better idea, the test drivers for Google's self-driving cars underwent weeks of in-depth lessons and difficult exams before they were given the go ahead. In contrast, Audi's driver training program only lasts a couple of hours, and can be completed in half a day. The training would also depend on the type of car. There are cars with self-driving technology that are still meant to be primarily driven by a human driver. In this case, additional lessons are a must.

How about in the UK?

The British Government has stated that a normal driver's licence would be sufficient to operate vehicles with an autonomous model in the UK. Additionally, it also anticipates that fully self-driving cars may be operated by those without a licence. However, these views may change once fully automated vehicles take to the roads, so there is still the possibility that UK drivers would have to undergo training, testing, and licencing before they can operate self-driving cars. For now the technology is ahead of the lawmakers. At some point they will need to catch up and consider the rules driverless vehicles operate under.