California Bill would Prohibit Self-Driving Trucks Without a Human Driver on Board
Legislation introduced in California this month would forbid the operation of self-driving trucks unless a human safety driver is inside the vehicle.
California law currently allows for the testing and operation of autonomous vehicles without a human driver physically inside the vehicle as long as they weigh under 10,000 pounds. the California Department of Motor Vehicles is now considering new rules to allow the testing of medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles without a human driver.
AB 316, introduced in the California Legislature on January 23rd by Assembly Member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, would address this by “prohibit[ing] the operation of an autonomous vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or more on public roads for testing purposes, transporting goods, or transporting passengers without a human safety operator physically present in the autonomous vehicle at the time of operation.”
Who Supports the Bill?
The bill has support from the likes of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the California Labor Federation, who believe that autonomous vehicles threaten the livelihood of thousands of drivers. Others who support AB 316 have voiced safety concerns while on the highway.
Aguiar-Curry believes that self-driving truck technology is decades away from being road-ready: “There may be a time, 30 or 40 years from now — and I won’t be around to see it — where hopefully that they might be able to do that. This isn’t the time to do it. It’s all about timing.”
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