Autonomous vehicle exemption should be denied, OOIDA says
Federal regulations require truck drivers to perform a wide variety of tasks aimed at improving safety.
Waymo LLC and Aurora Operations want an exemption from one of those tasks on behalf of motor carriers who operate autonomous driving systems.
In March, FMCSA published an exemption request from Waymo and Aurora that would allow all motor carriers operating autonomous driving systems – with or without a human on board – to have warning beacons mounted on the truck instead of traditional warning devices required by regulations.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association advised FMCSA to deny the request and urged the agency to develop autonomous vehicle policies “in a responsible manner.”
Current regulations state that “whenever a commercial motor vehicle is stopped upon the traveled portion or the shoulder of a highway for any cause other than necessary traffic stops, the driver shall, as soon as possible” place warning devices in a specific manner. The regulations also require all exterior lamps to be steady-burning. Waymo and Aurora requested a five-year exemption on behalf of autonomous truck carriers.
OOIDA argues that Waymo and Aurora did not provide adequate justification for the exemption.
“The research and studies presented in Waymo/Aurora’s exemption request from the regulations that require specific placement of warning devices around a stopped commercial motor vehicle are not sufficient to ensure an equivalent or greater level of safety,” OOIDA wrote in its formal comments filed April 3.
If granted, the qualified carriers would be exempt from requirements regarding the placement of warning devices and the steady-burning lamp requirement. It also would allow the companies to use a warning device for stopped vehicles, which isn’t acceptable under the current rules.
FMCSA accepted public comments on the request through April 10. A decision should be made in the coming months. LL