I’ve written about self-driving trucks.  (Here’s the first of three articles in a recent series.)  And, these are most likely to be the first adopted use of autonomous vehicles. It’s not clear if the tractor (what one calls the “truck” that hauls the trailer) will be autonomous on the highways, only to revert to driver control on the side-streets and within cities- or there will be  a leader vehicle (driven by a human), with a series of autonomous vehicles following the instructions of the lead driver.

My issue is that truck drivers are going to be losing their jobs in droves. And, those jobs provide a means for those without a college education to enjoy the middle class lifestyle.  But with autonomous vehicles taking over, these jobs will now be disappearing.

So, it shouldn’t surprise you that when Congress finally passed HR 3388, the  “Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research In Vehicle Evolution Act” (the Self-Drive Act), they punted.  The House specifically stipulated that these regulations for highly automated vehicles do not include commercial vehicles, especially trucks over 10,000 pounds, vehicles transporting hazardous materials, or vehicles that carry 10 or more passengers. (Note:  Trucking has a $725 billion annual turnover; a large component of our economy.) And, this law now allows some 100K experimental cars on the road every year.

And, what else did the Self-Drive Act stipulate?  That states have no right to regulate the “design, construction, or performance” of autonomous vehicles.   Supposedly (that’s if you believe the automotive lobbyists) that rule was written to ensure that manufacturers and vendors will not be required to deal with a plethora of (potentially conflicting)  regulations.  (I should also add that the IBT- the International Brotherhood of Teamsters- [representing some 600K truck drivers] also had lobbyists involved- telling Congress to steer clear of truck regulation.)

It would be fantastic if the federal regulations would govern the safety of these driverless cars, but that was not the intent of the law passed by Congress.   After all, the House allows the vendors to seek exemptions from federal safety standards, as long as the car’s safety will remain the same.  (How does one prove such a concept?  I can see that a steering wheel may no longer be totally necessary- until the owner/operator is required to effect an emergency maneuver.)

Let’s see what the Senate has to say about this legislative issue.   However, given its track record, that’s just as likely to be no consideration of the House-passed law at all…

Share this: