Senate Bill No. 431

Introduced by Senator Beall

February 25, 2015

An act to amend Section 21705 of, and to add Article 18 (commencing with Section 28200) to Chapter 5 of Division 12 of, the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 431, as introduced, Beall. Vehicles: driver-assistive truck platooning.

Existing law requires motor vehicles being driven in a caravan or motorcade outside of a business or residence district to be operated so as to allow sufficient space, and in no event less than 100 feet, between each vehicle or combination of vehicles so as to enable any other vehicle to overtake or pass.

This bill would provide that the above provision does not apply to a vehicle equipped with a driver-assistive truck platooning system, as defined, that is being driven upon a highway with 2 or more lanes of traffic in the direction of travel.

Existing law prohibits the operation of any vehicle or combination of vehicles that is not equipped as provided. Existing law also prohibits vehicles from being equipped with certain equipment, including, among others, jamming devices.

This bill would authorize the Department of Transportation to conduct a demonstration project to test the use of driver-assistive truck platooning systems with 2 vehicles in the platoon. The bill would require the Department of Transportation, if it authorizes a demonstration project pursuant to that provision, to coordinate with the Department of the California Highway Patrol to determine which types of vehicles and which streets and highways should be included in the demonstration project, provided that only streets and highways where driver-assistive truck platooning systems are likely to be frequently utilized shall be included in the demonstration project.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Vote: ²⁄₃. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 21705 of the Vehicle Code is amended
to read:

21705.  

begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert Motor vehicles being driven outside of a business
or residence district in a caravan or motorcade, whether or not
towing other vehicles, shall be begin delete so end delete operated begin insert so end insert as to allow sufficient
begin delete space end delete begin insert space, end insert and in no event less than 100 begin delete feet end delete begin insert feet, end insert between each
vehicle or combination of vehicles so as to enable any other vehicle
to overtake or pass.

begin insert

(b) (1) This section does not apply to a vehicle equipped with
a driver-assistive truck platooning system that is being driven upon
a highway with two or more lanes for traffic in the direction of
travel.

end insert begin insert

(2) For the purposes of this subdivision, “driver-assistive truck
platooning system” means vehicle automation technology that
integrates sensor array, wireless communications, vehicle controls,
and specialized software to synchronize acceleration and braking
between two vehicles, while leaving each vehicle’s steering control
and systems command in the control of its driver.

end insert

SEC. 2.  

Article 18 (commencing with Section 28200) is added
to Chapter 5 of Division 12 of the Vehicle Code, to read:

 

Article 18.  Driver-Assistive Truck Platooning

 

28200.  

(a) The Department of Transportation may conduct a
demonstration project to test the use of driver-assistive truck
platooning systems with two vehicles in the platoon. If the
Department of Transportation authorizes a demonstration project
pursuant to this section, it shall coordinate with the Department
of the California Highway Patrol to determine which types of
vehicles and which streets and highways should be included in the
demonstration project. Only streets and highways where
driver-assistive truck platooning systems are likely to be frequently
utilized shall be included in the demonstration project.

(b) For the purposes of this article, “driver-assistive truck
platooning systems” has the same meaning as in Section 21705.

SEC. 3.  

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the
immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within
the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into
immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to take advantage of federal funds that are currently
available to states for the purpose of testing automated vehicle
technologies on roads and highways, it is necessary that this act
take effect immediately.