California's AB316 Proposes Driver Requirement for Large Autonomous Vehicles
🔋 California's AB316 Proposes Driver Requirement for Large Autonomous Vehicles.
The California Assembly has passed a bill that would prohibit the testing of autonomous vehicles over 10,000 pounds, and it is now awaiting approval from the state Senate. The bill, supported by the Teamsters and the California Labor Federation, aims to ensure that the legislature has the authority to determine when large autonomous vehicles are ready to be deployed on public roads without a driver. Assemblymember Laura Friedman expressed concerns about leaving the testing supervision solely to the Department of Motor Vehicles, highlighting the need for transparency and data collection. The bill also includes provisions for future evaluation and potential lifting of the ban, with input from various state agencies. Safety and the protection of trucking industry jobs are key considerations in the legislation.
Two years ago, California lawmakers quietly passed a complex energy bill that transformed how residents are billed for electricity.