California bill could ban driverless autonomous trucks

California lawmakers have put forward a bill that would ban the operation of heavy trucks without a person in the cab.

Last week, AB 316 passed through the Communications and Transportation Committee of the California Assembly with bipartisan support and is on its way to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 316 was introduced to the California Legislature on January 23, 2023 by Assemblyman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry.

While California law currently allows the testing and operation of autonomous vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds without a human driver inside the vehicle, the California Department of Motor Vehicles is considering new regulations to allow testing of commercial medium and heavy-duty vehicles without a driver present.

AB 316 will address this issue by “prohibiting the operation of an autonomous vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or more on public roads for testing, cargo, or passenger transportation purposes without the physical presence of an offline safety operator.” vehicle during operation.

“AB 316 is common sense legislation that, in addition to keeping our roads safe, would protect thousands of good-paying jobs in California. Being a Teamster truck driver, I’m able to provide for my family with my pay and take care of my sick wife thanks to our unmatched health benefits,” said Mike Fry, professional truck driver of 27 years.

“Tech companies say that more autonomous vehicles mean more jobs, but it’s hard to believe that when the industry is leading the way in mass layoffs. We saw what happened in manufacturing, where more jobs were lost to automation than outsourcing. Let me be clear: I’m not against technology, but I am against tech giants putting it before human lives and wellbeing.”