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Dive Brief:
- The California State Senate passed a bill 36–2 on Monday that would require safety operators to board autonomous trucks, which would require a state report and legislative approval to reverse that.
- The bill, AB 316, limits testing on public roads and puts a significant hurdle in how quickly AV truck companies can commercialize the technology. California has not yet allowed trucks weighing 10,001 pounds or more that will be driven autonomously on public roads.
- The pending law, which received support from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and opposition from Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA), now goes before the governor for signature.
Dive Insight:
The Golden State serves as a key freight nexus and home to AV companies such as Aurora Innovation, Kodiak Robotics and TuSimple Holdings.
These companies and others such as Gatik, Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Waabi are developing autonomous trucking services, but have faced delays in implementing new capabilities there and on state-specific interstate routes.
AVIA, which represents those companies, urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto the bill. “We are disappointed to see AB 316 pass the California Senate,” the organization said in a statement Monday.
Union representatives welcomed the measure on Monday, saying lawmakers stood up for drivers jobsthe California Teamsters Public Affairs Council said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Jason Rabinowitz, president of Teamsters Joint Council 7, said in a statement that signing the bill “shouldn’t be crazy at all.”
Supporters and opponents have argued that the issue is related to security.
“While self-driving technology could be promising in the future, it’s just not yet available for widespread and widespread use in heavy-duty trucks,” Sen. Brian Jones, R-San Diego, said before the vote. “When public safety is at risk, we have to hit the brakes until it’s perfected.”
Voices such as AVIA said the technology would reduce accidents, while critics raised concerns about whether heavy-duty AVs would be rolled out too quickly.
Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Contra Costa, compared the issue to typewriters and a carriage, saying technology makes people’s lives easier and the status quo shouldn’t limit developments. “No one wants trucks on the roads that are not safe,” he said.
Opponents of the bill also argued that the state Department of Motor Vehicles should have oversight, but the bill calls for lawmakers to take a more active role.
The legislation requires the DMV to issue a report on AV technology and its impact, including impacts on public safety and jobs, for autonomous vehicles weighing 10,001 pounds or more.
The report must be issued by “Jan. 1, 2029 or five years after the start of testing, whichever is later.” After the report and a legislative oversight hearing, the DMV could allow an autonomous driverless vehicle a year later, provided lawmakers and the governor approve the measure.
The pending law would also require crash reports from companies to the state DMV, as well as annual reports on whether an AV’s autonomous function is disabled, such as when an operator must take over driving.