BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING
Senator Jim Beall, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: SB 431 Hearing Date: 4/14/2015
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|Author: |Beall |
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|Version: |2/25/2015 |
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|Urgency: |Yes |Fiscal: |No |
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|Consultant|Eric Thronson |
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SUBJECT: Vehicles: driver-assistive truck platooning
DIGEST: This bill requires an officer, when determining what a
reasonable and prudent distance between two vehicles is, to take
into account the presence of vehicle automation technologies.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law restricts a driver of a motor vehicle from
following another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and
prudent, depending on various factors such as the speed of his
or her vehicle and the traffic on and condition of the roadway.
Further, existing law specifies that a driver of a truck cannot
follow any closer than 300 feet behind another truck, except to
pass, unless travelling on a highway with two or more lanes in
the same direction of travel.
In addition, existing law restricts vehicles in a caravan or
motorcade from traveling any closer than 100 feet so as to
enable any other vehicle to overtake or pass the caravan.
Neither caravan nor motorcade, however, is defined anywhere in
statute.
This bill:
1.Requires an officer, when determining what a reasonable and
prudent distance between two vehicles is, to take into account
the presence of vehicle automation technologies.
SB 431 (Beall) Page 2 of ?
2.Defines a "driver-assistive truck platooning system" as a
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 the driver.
3.Exempts a vehicle from the distance restriction for a caravan
vehicle as long as it is equipped with a driver-assistive
truck platooning system and is operating on a highway with two
or more lanes in the direction of travel.
4.Is an urgency statute.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose. According to the author, this bill brings California
into the 21st century in that it creates the possibility of
driver-assistive truck platooning (DATP). This technology is
an extension of adaptive cruise control and automated
braking/active safety technologies already commercialized and
adopted in U.S. trucking fleets. The author states that DATP
enhances traffic safety by circumventing delays in human
perception and reaction time, and also dramatically improves
fuel efficiency. The bill's sponsor contends that the
California Highway Patrol (CHP) believes that two-truck
platooning with DATP is not allowed under existing law. This
bill, therefore, amends existing law to make it possible for
trucks to utilize this technology in California.
2.Truck platooning and vehicle automation. Due to the fact that
drivers require time and space to react to changing driving
conditions, the present system of driving on roadways requires
a tremendous amount of space between vehicles. The amount of
space between vehicles increases as the speed of the vehicles
increases. For example, a parked car requires approximately
100 square feet of ground space. When the same vehicle is
moving at 70 mph, because of the longitudinal space
requirements to allow for human reaction time, it requires
approximately 5,000 square feet of space on a freeway. This
space requirement is even higher for trucks and commands a
premium price in an already developed urban environment such
as southern California.
Automated Highway Systems, or AHS, holds great promise in
SB 431 (Beall) Page 3 of ?
improving traffic flow on congested roadways and promises
dramatic improvements in capacity. AHS is a vehicle- and
road-based system that can drive a vehicle automatically.
This is done using sensors that determine a vehicle's lane
position and the speed and location of other vehicles.
Actuators on the throttle, brake, and steering wheel give the
vehicle the necessary commands to safely navigate the vehicle
on the roadway. AHS vehicles often also have equipment to
communicate with other AHS vehicles. Automated highways are
safer, more efficient, and produce lower emissions compared to
the traffic flow on conventional highways. This bill furthers
the development of truck platooning and AHS in California,
which can provide significant benefits to the state.
3.What is a caravan? As stated previously, existing law
restricts vehicles in a caravan or motorcade from traveling
too close together. Unfortunately, existing law does not
define either caravan or motorcade. This ambiguity could
create some uncertainty in the development of AHS or truck
platooning.
Merriam-Webster defines caravan as "a group of vehicles
traveling together," as in a train, fleet, or armada. The
definition of motorcade is "a procession of motor vehicles."
It seems, in either case, that a caravan or a motorcade would
consist of more than two vehicles. Further, CHP has indicated
that it believes that caravans consist of more than two
vehicles. This bill currently amends existing law to exempt
two trucks utilizing DATP from the distance restrictions for
caravans and motorcades. In order to clarify existing law,
the committee may wish to amend the bill to define caravan and
motorcade as meaning more than two vehicles traveling
together. Amending the bill as such accomplishes the aim of
this bill, to make it possible for two trucks utilizing DATP
to travel closely together, but does not create a special
exemption for trucks using specific technologies.
RELATED LEGISLATION:
SB 719 (Hernandez) - authorizes Caltrans to test technologies
that involve motor vehicles being operated with less than 100
feet between them. SB 719 is currently pending in this
committee.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
SB 431 (Beall) Page 4 of ?
Com.: Yes Local: No
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday,
April 8, 2015.)
SUPPORT:
Peloton Technology (Sponsor)
Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association
United Parcel Service
OPPOSITION:
None received.
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