California Gov. Newsom Again Vetoes Autonomous Truck Bill
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
For the second time in a year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed legislation that would have required a driver to be in the cab when autonomous trucks are tested on state highways over the next five years.
“This bill would prohibit the operation of autonomous vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or more on public roads for testing, transporting goods or carrying passengers without a human safety operator physically present in the vehicle,” Newsom wrote in a Sept. 27 letter to members of the California State Assembly. “In my veto of a nearly identical bill last year, I expressed that my administration remains committed to working with the author, sponsors and stakeholders in furthering our efforts to meet the needs of traffic safety, worker protections and jobs as this evolving technology progresses in California.”
Lawmakers in the Assembly voted 70-1 in favor of the measure, after approval earlier this year by the State Senate.
“We applaud Gov. Newsom for vetoing AB 2286, thereby allowing California’s safety experts to continue evaluating autonomous vehicle technology through the appropriate regulatory channels,” Jeff Farrah, CEO of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, said in a statement. “The AV industry will continue to work with the California DMV and California Highway Patrol on draft regulations to safely regulate autonomous trucks and ensure the state sees the supply chain, safety and economic benefits of the technology.”
The California legislature has already passed a law banning the operation of Class 8 trucks without a human operator on board. Gov'n Newsom vetoed similar legislation last year. Organized Labor is going to resist.https://t.co/icoV4l9YvB — Lodger (@ArcticDodger) October 7, 2024
Supporters of the legislation include the Teamsters union, which said it supported human operators in the cab during autonomous truck testing as well as establishment of stronger reporting and collection measures for roadway violations and other accidents involving autonomous trucks.
Specifically, the bill would have directed the Department of Motor Vehicles to submit a report by Jan. 1, 2030, or five years after testing commences, evaluating the performance of autonomous vehicle technology and its impact on public safety and employment in the transportation sector. The report would have informed the Legislature’s decision on whether to remove, modify or maintain the requirement for a human safety operator in these larger autonomous vehicles.
California governor leaves door open to driverless trucking https://t.co/6jAlxwusLQ via @TruckingDive — Gregory A. Butler (@GREGORYABUTLER) October 5, 2024
“I’m proud to have passed the first hurdle in this year’s process with another resounding bipartisan vote,” said Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, the main sponsor of the bill. “The Legislature must maintain its role in protecting the safety of and employment of tens of millions of Californians.”
Aguiar-Curry called professional truck drivers “stewards of our highways, not entries on a balance sheet.”
Aguiar-Curry
American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear has told Congress that autonomous trucks will not displace drivers. When Newsom vetoed the bill last year, Spear called the veto “an encouraging indication that the governor is actually willing to consider all sides and allow common sense to prevail.”
In his veto letter, Newsom said that 35 jurisdictions — including Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Washington and the District of Columbia — already have authorized the testing of heavy-duty autonomous vehicles.
“California remains the only state to actively prohibit these vehicles,” Newsom wrote.
Newsom added, “The Department of Motor Vehicles, which has regulated autonomous vehicles over the last decade pursuant to authority granted to it by the Legislature, has issued three sets of regulations that create a framework allowing innovation while also protecting public safety. A new set of draft regulations, currently open for public input until Oct. 14, offers the nation’s most comprehensive standards for heavy-duty autonomous vehicles.”
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing below or go here for more info:
