Self–driving cars-- they're not science fiction any more.

Georgia legislators are so serious about the idea, they want to pass a law that would make those cars legal on the road.

Representative Terry Kelley (R- Cedartown) leads a house committee that will study autonomous vehicle technology.

He says that technology is coming, so Georgia needs to figure out how to deal with it.

"We're still somewhere 10 to 15 years away from full implementation, but it's important to start looking into how to further develop this technology and prepare for tomorrow when it gets here,” said Kelley. “20 years ago, people were walking around with briefcases and calling them cellphones, so as technology moves even faster, that's something that can catch on and we need to be ready for."

Representative Kelley says those vehicles could be the next big thing in the car industry , and that's an economic opportunity that Georgia needs to jump on.

Self–driving vehicles are already road legal in Nevada, Florida, and California.

Kelley is hoping to pass legislation for Georgia during the next legislative session