BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING
Senator Jim Beall, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 1592 Hearing Date: 6/14/2016
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Author: |Bonilla |
|----------+------------------------------------------------------|
|Version: |6/6/2016 |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |No |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Consultant|Randy Chinn |
|: | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUBJECT: Autonomous vehicles: pilot project
DIGEST: This bill authorizes the Contra Costa Transportation
Authority (CCTA) to conduct a pilot project for the testing of
autonomous vehicles under specified conditions.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Authorizes the operation of autonomous vehicles on public
roads for testing purposes under certain circumstances
specified in regulations adopted by the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV). Insurance of $5 million is required of the
manufacturer
2)Requires DMV, by January 1, 2015, to adopt regulations setting
forth requirements for the application to operate autonomous
vehicles on public roads for non-testing purposes
3)Requires the application submitted to DMV for the operation of
autonomous vehicles on public roads for non-testing purposes
to include a certification from the manufacturer that the
vehicle allows the operator to take control through the use of
the brake, the accelerator pedal, or the steering wheel
AB 1592 (Bonilla) Page 2 of ?
4)Requires DMV to approve an application submitted by a
manufacturer for the operation of autonomous vehicles for
non-testing purposes if DMV finds that the applicant has
submitted all information and completed testing necessary to
satisfy DMV that the autonomous vehicles are safe to operate
on public roads and the applicant has complied with all
requirements specified in DMV regulations
5)Authorizes DMV to impose additional requirements it deems
necessary to ensure the safe operation of autonomous vehicles
if those vehicles are capable of operating without the
presence of a driver inside the vehicle, including the
presence of a driver in the driver's seat of the vehicle, if
DMV determines that such a requirement is necessary to ensure
the safe operation of those vehicles on public roads
6)Requires DMV to notify the Legislature of the receipt and
approval of an application from a manufacturer seeking to
operate autonomous vehicles capable of operating without the
presence of a driver inside the vehicle on public roads for
non-testing purposes
This bill:
Authorizes the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) to
conduct a pilot project for the testing of autonomous vehicles
that do not have an operator and are not equipped with a
steering wheel, brake pedal, or an accelerator, provided that:
1)The vehicle operates at less than 35 miles per hour
2)The testing is conducted only at a privately owned business
park designated by CCTA or at the GoMentum Station located
within the boundaries of the former Concord Naval Weapons
Station
COMMENTS:
1) Purpose. The author has observed that autonomous vehicle
technologies are evolving at a rapid pace and states that it
is critical that California supports further development of
such technologies to improve mobility, increase road safety,
reduce parking and traffic congestion, meet our state's
AB 1592 (Bonilla) Page 3 of ?
climate change goals, and keep jobs and technology
innovation in California. As a state, we cannot allow auto
manufacturers, software companies, engineers, and scientists
- and the jobs, technology, and innovation they bring -to
leave our state. Currently, other states such as Michigan,
Texas, Arizona, and Nevada are attracting the business and
innovation as a result of state investment and more
favorable regulations pertaining to autonomous vehicles. It
is imperative that we remove barriers to the testing and
development of autonomous vehicles, according to the author.
2) Who and where? The CCTA is a public agency responsible
for maintaining and improving Contra Costa Countys
transportation system by planning, funding, and delivering
transportation infrastructure projects and programs. CCTA
is also the county's designated Congestion Management Agency
(CMA), responsible for putting programs in place to keep
traffic levels manageable. This bill authorizes CCTA to
conduct an autonomous vehicle pilot program in two places.
The first is at Bishop Ranch in San Ramon, a large business
park which is crossed and bordered by several major streets.
Bishop Ranch houses major corporate tenants such as AT&T,
GE, and Toyota. It is bordered by shopping centers and a
middle school. The second location is known as the GoMentum
Station, a 2,100 acre test bed located within the footprint
of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station, with over 20
miles of paved road. The GoMentum Station is a secured test
site inaccessible to the public. That will change as the
property is turned over to the City of Concord, which could
subsequently open the property to the public and authorize
development.
3) Waiting. The DMV's autonomous vehicle testing program
regulations were adopted May 19, 2014, and are effective
now. Those regulations, consistent with existing law, do
not permit the testing of autonomous vehicles without a
driver or driving controls. The DMV's regulations for
autonomous vehicles for non-testing purposes are long
overdue and not expected soon. Draft regulations, which
were published in December 2015, required autonomous
vehicles, for non-testing purposes, to also have a driver
and driving controls. This provision was criticized by many
autonomous vehicle manufacturers.
Meanwhile, the federal government is also developing
AB 1592 (Bonilla) Page 4 of ?
autonomous vehicle rules and policies. In January, the
National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
said it would propose best-practice guidance to the auto
industry on establishing principles of safe operation for
fully autonomous vehicles. NHTSA is also working with the
American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to
develop model state autonomous vehicle policies by July.
California's DMV is chairing this working group.
4) Revising testing protocols. This bill changes the
autonomous vehicle testing protocols established by SB 1298
(Padilla, Chapter 570, Statutes of 2012) by deleting the
requirement for a driver and manually operable controls.
Also eliminated are the requirements for $5 million in
liability insurance and reporting requirements on accidents
and autonomous technology disengagements. But some
assurance is prudent to ensure that the state of California
is not on the hook in the unfortunate event of a serious
accident. And reporting on the track record of the
autonomous technology when it is exposed to the public in
the business park will help the DMV in developing its
autonomous vehicle regulations. The author and committee may
wish to consider reinstating the $5 million liability
insurance requirement and the reporting of accidents and
malfunctions during the operation in the business park.
5) What's the record? Autonomous vehicles have been
permitted for testing on California roads since 2014,
accumulating over 400,000 miles of travel. Since then, 15
accidents have been reported, five of which occurred when
the vehicles were operated manually. Most of these
accidents involved no or very minor damage and injury. The
DMV also requires reporting on the instances when the
autonomous driving function is disabled, either because of a
technology failure or when the driver disables the function
for safety reasons. Google, which has tested autonomous
vehicles on California roads far more than anyone else,
reported 341 instances of disengagement since 2014. This is
a small number given the number of miles traveled, but not
insignificant, as the pilot program authorized by this bill
will not have a driver to take over the vehicle.
Unlike the GoMentum Station which is, for now, a
closed-to-the-public testing facility, Bishop Ranch is a
bustling, heavily trafficked business park located in the
AB 1592 (Bonilla) Page 5 of ?
city of San Ramon. Currently, CCTA is planning on deploying
EasyMile driverless shuttles, low-speed electric vehicles
with a 12-passenger capacity. These vehicles have been used
in a number of campus-like environments in Europe since late
2014. Concerns about the use of unmanned autonomous
vehicles in this location are mitigated by the support of
the San Ramon Police Department for the bill.
6) Privacy. Some have raised concerns about the privacy of
the users of autonomous vehicles in that their comings and
goings can be tracked. The author and committee may wish to
consider collecting only information related to the
operation of the vehicle and its environment and that the
information may not be used for marketing or other
commercial purposes.
7) Data. The DMV requires autonomous vehicle manufacturers
to regularly report on incidents involving those vehicles,
providing important information information for the DMV as
it develops its regulations while the technology evolves.
This bill is silent on the provision of information to the
DMV. The author and committee may wish to consider allowing
the DMV to require information related to vehicle safety for
the operation of autonomous vehicles in the private business
park.
8) Another California industry. Development of autonomous
vehicles has been good for California and its companies.
Google, Tesla and, perhaps, Apple are leaders in self -
driving technology. And much of the sensor, control, and
mapping technology have links to the Silicon Valley. With
the potential addition of electric car company Faraday
Future in Vallejo, the car industry is rebuilding its
presence in California.
9) Can I get it tomorrow? Many boldly predict that fully
autonomous vehicles will be on the road soon: GM predicts
by 2020, as do Ford and Toyota; in 2012, Google predicted it
would have a driverless car on the market by 2018. Uber
says that its fleet will be driverless by 2030. These
timeframes will be greatly impacted by the pace of
regulatory accommodation. As an example, federal motor
vehicle safety standards require all vehicles to have
steering wheels, brakes, and other controls. These
standards will need to be revised if controlless vehicles
AB 1592 (Bonilla) Page 6 of ?
are to be generally available to the public. More certain
is the gradual deployment of driver assistance technology
which will support, but not supplant the driver, such as
adaptive cruise control, lane keeper assistance, and vehicle
to vehicle communication.
10) More to learn. In addition to the technical and
regulatory hurdles, autonomous vehicles will have enormous
societal impacts, particularly with regard to labor markets,
which will affect the speed of its acceptance. Surveys show
the general public does not yet trust autonomous vehicles.
And the effect of autonomous vehicles on congestion and
greenhouse gas emissions are potentially positive, but not
well understood.
Related Legislation:
AB 2682 (Chang) -requires DMV, upon the development of a model
state policy on autonomous vehicles by NHTSA, to hold public
hearings on the model policy and consider, to the extent
authorized by other law, conforming department regulations with
that policy. AB 2682 will be heard in the Senate Transportation
and Housing Committee on June 14, 2016.
SB 1298 (Padilla, Chapter 570, Statutes of 2012) -established
conditions for the operation of autonomous vehicles upon public
roadways.
AB 2258 (Fox, 2014) - would have authorized the City of
Lancaster to research and develop autonomous public buses. This
bill failed in the Assembly Transportation Committee.
Assembly Votes
Floor: 75-0
Trans: 16-0
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local:
No
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 8, 2016.)
AB 1592 (Bonilla) Page 7 of ?
SUPPORT:
Contra Costa Transportation Authority (sponsor)
Alliance for Transportation Innovation
Allstate Insurance Company
American Council of Engineering Companies California
Bay Area Council
Bay Area Rapid Transit District
California Department of Insurance
Central Contra Costa Transit Authority
City of Clayton
City of Concord
City of San Ramon
City of Walnut Creek
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
EasyMile
Honda
Intelligent Transportation Systems California
League of California Cities
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
San Ramon Police Department
Sunset Development Company
Stantec
Telecommunications Industry Association
Telegra, Inc.
OPPOSITION:
Amalgamated Transit Union
California Teamsters Public Affairs Council
-- END --