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Labor unions, LA officials back bill aimed at regulating driverless cars
Los Angeles Feb 02, 2024
Senator Dave Cortese speaks during a press conference Feb. 2, 2024. | Photo courtesy of Senator Dave Cortese/Facebook
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On the steps of City Hall surrounded by several members of a labor union and some elected officials, Sen. Dave Cortese Friday spoke on a bill introduced, which aims to empower cities to further regulate autonomous vehicles.
In early January, Cortese, D-San Jose, who is also the chairman of California’s Senate Labor Committee, introduced SB 915, also known as the Autonomous Vehicle Service Deployment and Data Transparency Act. The senator’s office noted the bill arrived amid “growing concerns” about autonomous vehicles and public safety as hundreds of driverless cars navigate the streets of San Francisco and Los Angeles, and documented reports of serious accidents.
“What gave rise to this bill is the fact that for whatever reason — perhaps it’s just the fact that this technology did not exist before in the state of California,” Cortese said during Friday’s news conference. “Unlike any other kind of motor vehicle operations, it does not allow local governments do what they do best, which is to tailor roads and highway motor vehicle regulations the way they need to be — whether it’s Los Angeles or Humboldt, whether its Compton or right here by City Hall.”
Another challenge that autonomous vehicles pose, he added, is that it could negatively impact the economy and possibly result in the loss of employment opportunities.
Cortese thanked Teamsters, the labor union that represents workers in various industries, such as transportation, food, insurance and more, for sponsoring his bill.
Chris Griswold, the president-at large of Teamsters International, said their union represents more than 150,000 members throughout the state. He criticized the roll out of autonomous vehicles because they are causing accidents, obstructing safety personnel and causing congestion.
He noted Waymo, a ride-hail service that offers electric, self-driving cars in multiple cities across the country, is now being tested in the streets of L.A. and impacting their members — UPS and other delivery drivers.
“We need to stand up to the big tech companies,” Griswold said. “Residents of California should not be lab rats for big tech and Wall Street. Local officials and residents have to say no. SB 915 will change that.”
Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On its website, Waymo states its mission is “to make it safe and easy for people and things to get where they’re going.”
Companies like Waymo and Cruise, which develop autonomous vehicles, have come under fire since October 2023, after a Cruise Chevrolet Bolt EV hit and ran over a pedestrian.
California agencies then suspended Cruise’s permits to test its vehicles in the state, which resulted in the company cutting its workforce by 24% as a part of a move to focus on safety, Carscoops reported, an online trade publication.
Waymo recently released data that showed its vehicles experience an 85% reduction in injury-causing crashes and a 57% reduction in police-reported crash rates compared to human-driven vehicles. Waymo compiled the data from 7.14 million miles of autonomous vehicle rides conducted in L.A., Phoenix and San Francisco.
However, last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that Waymo vehicles were involved in at least 150 crashes.
Lindsay Dougherty, Teamsters International vice president for the Western Region and the secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 399 located in Hollywood, emphasized that SB 915 will “do what other politicians have failed to do,” as well as government agencies such as the DMV and the California Public Utilities Commission, which are tasked with regulating autonomous vehicle technology.
L.A. City Council members Hugo Soto-Martinez, Eunisses Hernandez and Nithya Raman joined the news conference and showed their support for SB 915.
Soto-Martinez noted he would be introducing a resolution formally backing the bill during Friday’s City Council meeting. It will need approval by the full council before it can be adopted.
The councilman said the resolution is intended to send a clear message that elected leaders of L.A. want to ensure local control over city streets, and enshrine the ability to regulate robo taxis and other forms of autonomous vehicles.
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