California issues draft regulations for operating autonomous trucks

(Reuters) - The California Department of Motor Vehicles on Friday issued draft regulations on the operation of autonomous vehicles on highways, paving the way for self-driving trucks to commence long-haul deliveries.

The state agency is planning a framework which would initially require safety drivers for both light- and heavy-duty operations. 

The DMV is accepting written feedback on the language of the draft until Oct. 14. 

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT 

The draft regulations come at a time when autonomous driving technology faces heightened levels of scrutiny from safety regulators over multiple cases of crashes and accidents involving the technology.

If approved, the regulations could be a huge win for autonomous trucking startups which are betting on the technology to grow and advance and would also threaten trucking jobs.

CONTEXT

Self-driving cars from the likes of Alphabet's Waymo and General Motors' Cruise have had run ins with regulators over incidents involving their autonomous vehicles. 

A Waymo car had struck a cyclist at a city intersection earlier this year, while a Cruise vehicle was involved in a serious accident last year in San Francisco which led to the company removing nearly a thousand cars from roads.

Autonomous trucks have been seeing some success with deploying big rigs along pre-planned routes to deliver goods. Firms like Waabi operate autonomous trucks with safety drivers on planned commercial lanes, hauling freight cargo for Uber between Dallas and Houston in Texas.

THE RESPONSE

Reactions to the draft regulations have been mixed. The Teamsters union condemned the rules, saying they threaten jobs and public safety.

"The regulations are an insult to California workers who already fear losing their jobs to automation," Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien said.

The Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association on the other hand welcomed the draft order, saying it is "an important step for the future of roadway safety and supply chain resiliency in California."

The draft comes a day after two autonomous vehicle safety bills were passed by the California Assembly. The bills require human operators in driver-less trucks, and mandate autonomous vehicle manufacturers to report any vehicle collisions, traffic violations among others.

California Governor Gavin Newsom will have to sign the bills in order for them to become law.

(Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)