California could ban fully autonomous trucks

The proposed legislation would require a safety driver to be present in the cab of any vehicle weighing more than 10,000 pounds.

by chris chilton

February 2, 2023 at 08:33

by chris chilton

A battle is brewing in California over whether to allow fully autonomous trucking in the state, and one side has introduced legislation to try to make sure it never happens.

Autonomous driving technology is finding its way to both cars and trucks, but while those who focus on its use in passenger vehicles are primarily concerned with safety, the arguments for its use on long-haul commercial platforms are more complicated. It’s not just lives that are potentially at stake, but truckers’ livelihoods as well.

So two state legislators backed by the California Federation of Labor and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents truckers, want to introduce supporting legislation that would require any vehicle over 10,000 lbs. (4,536 kg) equipped with autonomous technology to have a safety driver present during the test. or operating within the state. If the bill passes, large trucks would need a driver even if the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) decides to allow autonomous trucks.

“If we are going to implement this technology, then it should be done by the legislature, not a regulatory agency,” said Jason Rabinowitz, president of Teamsters Joint Council 7. automotive news. “It should be well thought out. Protecting our economy should be the number one concern, not the profits of these corporations that are pushing this technology, trying to make us move too fast.”

Related: Autonomous trucks could replace 90% of humans on long-distance routes

California has allowed the testing of autonomous vehicles without a driver present since 2018 and expanded the law to include certain cargo vans and pickup trucks the following year. But a rule that prohibits vehicles weighing more than 10,001 pounds means that large trucks and semi-trucks currently cannot operate without a driver.

That last piece of legislation could be removed after lobbying by the autonomous vehicle industry warned that California will be left behind if it doesn’t follow the lead of other states, including Arkansas, Nevada and Texas, in allowing driverless trucks. A study by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation suggested that autonomous trucks could boost economic activity in the state to the tune of $6.5 billion.