In response to the accidents, tech companies are facing increased scrutiny and calls for more regulation. However, some view this as complicated due to the significant contribution these companies make to California's economy. The proposed bills are backed by the Teamsters union, which has long opposed the deployment of autonomous vehicles due to safety and job loss concerns. Despite the controversy, autonomous trucks, which mainly operate on set routes and highways, have largely avoided high-profile accidents.
Key takeaways:
- A robotaxi from Alphabet's Waymo was set on fire by people celebrating Chinese New Year, marking the most destructive attack so far on driverless vehicles in the U.S.
- Public anger has risen in San Francisco due to accidents involving self-driving taxis, including a Waymo vehicle hitting a cyclist and a GM Cruise robotaxi dragging a pedestrian.
- California lawmakers and labor unions are calling for laws to not allow autonomous trucks without human drivers, with two bills being pushed for stricter control over autonomous vehicles.
- Despite opposition from tech companies and a veto from Governor Newsom on a similar bill last year, the bill requiring a human driver in self-driving vehicles weighing more than 10,001 pounds has been reintroduced in the state assembly.