(NewsNation) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have required a human safety driver to be present while large, automated trucks are on the road.
Teamsters workers rallied in support of the bill, citing concerns about safety and job security, and it passed through the state's legislature without much opposition.
Newsom, however, ultimately deemed the changes “unnecessary” in light of existing laws and turned the bill down against the wishes of a base that has supported him in the past.
What was this bill about?
Assembly Bill 316 would have effectively banned large, automated trucks (10,001 pounds or more) from public roads without a human safety operator present.
Those in support of the bill pointed to safety concerns and fear of job loss to AI.
Opponents, including the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, claimed the bill would “undermine oversight of expert regulators” and lock in an “unacceptable safety status quo.”
Although laborers who generally support Newsom also supported the bill, the governor may have been feeling pressure not to alienate the emerging industry.
Newsom’s Office of Business and Economic Development said approving the bill would push companies making self-driving technologies to move away from California, according to the Associated Press.
What are the arguments in favor of it?
“If Gov. Newsom vetoes this bill, he is putting the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of truck drivers at risk, while jeopardizing public safety,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in an official statement issued ahead of the governor’s decision.
Those in support of the bill cited some Californians’ discomfort in sharing the road with driverless vehicles.
Why did he veto it?
In a statement Newsom issued about his veto, he said the bill was unnecessary since laws established in 2012 already touch on the issue. The Department of Motor Vehicles, Newsom said, has been granted the power to work with the California Highway Patrol and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to establish testing and deployment regulations for self-driving vehicles.
Additionally, autonomous trucks weighing more than 10,001 pounds still require human safety operators but not on a permanent basis like the bill would have required.
As for job security, Newsom said he’s directing the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to develop recommendations to mitigate any potential labor impacts.
The DMV held public workshops with stakeholders earlier this year to discuss rulemaking, Newsom reiterated.
“This rulemaking will be a transparent, public process where subject matter experts and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to shape the regulations related to the safe operations of autonomous vehicles in California,” Newsom wrote in his veto memo.
Now what?
Those draft regulations are expected to be released for public comment in the coming months, but no fully automated or self-driving vehicles are currently available for sale.
Some states allow a limited number of self-driving vehicles for testing and research purposes or as pilot programs on public streets. Those programs are monitored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Many vehicles on the market, however, feature elements of automation. That would include cars that help drivers stop to avoid a crash or keep them from drifting out of a lane.
Automakers last year saw nearly 400 crashes involving vehicles with partially automated driver-assist systems, The Associated Press reported at the time. There were 42,895 fatalities from motor vehicle traffic crashes of all kinds nationwide, according to the NHTSA.