Autonomous Vehicle News
Proposed legislation would requires a safety driver to be present in the cab of any vehicle weighing more than 10,000 lbsA 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. It’s not only lives that are potentially at stake, but the livelihoods of truck drivers as well. If the bill passes, big rigs would need a driver even if the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) decides to allow autonomous trucks. But a rule prohibiting vehicles weighing more than 10,001 lbs means large trucks and semis can’t currently operate without a driver. A study from the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation Suggested that autonomous trucks could boost economic activity in the state to the tune of $6.5 billion.