California Governor Vetoes Autonomous Truck Ban, Approves New Guidelines for AVs

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law that will create guidelines and protocols for autonomous vehicles that are involved in crashes or encounter first responders, reports Andrew J. Hawkins in The Verge.

AB 1777 “would require AV companies to provide a hotline for police to call in case an autonomous vehicle disrupts a crime scene or emergency situation — something that has happened repeatedly in San Francisco.” The bill also gives police the authority to issue “notices of noncompliance” to autonomous vehicles, which were previously exempt under a legal loophole since the law explicitly addresses “drivers.” According to Hawkins, “The citations would not come with any monetary penalties, but if a company racks up enough notices, the DMV could pull their permits.”

Newsom vetoed two other bills related to autonomous vehicles: AB 2286 would have banned self-driving trucks from public roads, while AB 3061 aimed to create more stringent reporting requirements for AV operators. “In vetoing the self-driving truck ban, Newsom noted that the state has already issued draft regulations that offer ‘the nation’s most comprehensive standards for heavy-duty autonomous vehicles.’ These include provisions that would limit driverless trucks from roads with speeds of 50mph or higher and prevent them from carrying certain payloads, like hazardous chemicals.”