CALIFORNIA: AN AV LUDDITE OR JUST CAUTIOUS?

MY HOME STATE IS OFTEN criticized for being overly progressive (about things like human rights, y’know). But lately California has adopted less than enthusiasm for AVs, Autonomous Vehicles. Despite being the generally progressive person I am, I agree with this: California is not being an AV Luddite, it’s being understandably cautious about this technology.

Automotive News, July 12, 2023, reports “Self-driving Setbacks: AV Companies Bruised in California Showdowns.” Pete Bigelow writes, “Tuesday marked a sobering and perhaps seminal milepost in ongoing efforts to deploy and expand the presence of autonomous vehicles in California.”

Tuesday, July 11, 2023. “In the morning,” Bigelow recounted, “the California Public Utilities Commission again delayed a vote on applications from Cruise and Waymo to expand and begin, respectively, commercial robotaxi service in San Francisco. In the afternoon, a state senate subcommittee unanimously advanced legislation that would prohibit self-driving trucks from operating on the state’s roads.” 

How Come? The reasons behind these decisions were not completely political (though, indeed, there are overtones). First, Bigelow cites Jeffrey Tumlin, director of transportation at the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency, who said “current deployments on city streets have sown havoc.” Without cooperation from self-driving technology companies, he warned self-driving taxis could cause ‘dystopic scenarios’ related to traffic and safety.”

I’ve ranted before about AV testing on public streets and roads, but these “dystopic scenarios” have already occurred: Bigelow cites Tumlin: “Problems include Cruise vehicles clustering at intersections and blocking traffic until the cars are removed by humans, robotaxis allowing passengers to exit vehicles in traffic lanes and cars stopping when they become befuddled by fog. More troubling, he said robotaxis are interfering with law enforcement officers and firefighters by blocking their routes to incidents, parking atop fire hoses and not following commands to leave active scenes on a routine basis.” 

AVs and 911. Tumlin said in a keynote address at the Automated Road Transportation Symposium, “We have heard lots of great marketing promises and been the ones on the ground dealing with the gap between marketing promises and reality.” Bigelow notes, “His agency learns about incidents via contacts from local law enforcement, fire department officials or from 911 calls. An average of three 911 calls per day are made because of AV-related problems.”

AVs and Luddite Responses. In the old days, Luddites angered over job losses sabotaged factories by tossing shoes into automated looms (recall the word “sabot,” “wooden shoe.”) Today, Bigelow reports, “Frustrated citizens have increasingly waged guerilla efforts aimed at thwarting autonomous-vehicle operations. Vigilantes hobbled Cruise and Waymo vehicles last week by sticking orange traffic cones on their hoods, causing the vehicles to stop.”

Don’t try this at home, kids. I am merely the messenger. 

Heavy Trucks, California AB 316, and Politics. I would expect truck drivers to have a stake in this. And Bigelow writes, “Meanwhile, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has backed legislation in California that would prohibit self-driving trucks from operating on state roads without a human safety driver. On Tuesday, the state senate’s transportation subcommittee unanimously moved the bill, AB 316, forward to the senate’s finance committee. Should it pass there, which industry insiders say is likely, it would go to the full senate for a vote and then to the governor’s desk.”

Bigelow observes, “That sets up a high-profile showdown between labor unions and the tech industry, two of California Democrats’ most prominent constituencies.”

I suspect taller orange traffic cones would be needed to capture Robo18wheeler attention. Again, kids, I am merely the messenger. ds 

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2023