BILL ANALYSIS Ó
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 431|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 431
Author: Beall (D)
Amended: 4/21/15
Vote: 27 - Urgency
SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 11-0, 4/14/15
AYES: Beall, Cannella, Allen, Bates, Gaines, Galgiani, Leyva,
McGuire, Mendoza, Roth, Wieckowski
SUBJECT: Vehicles: driver-assistive truck platooning
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill allows vehicles equipped with a
driver-assistive truck platooning system to operate less than
100 feet apart.
ANALYSIS: Existing law prohibits drivers from following other
vehicles more closely than is reasonable and prudent.
This bill:
1)Requires that the determination of reasonable and prudent
shall take into account the presence of vehicle automation
technology, including driver-assistive truck platooning
systems.
SB 431
Page 2
2)Clarifies the definition of "caravan" or "motorcade" as three
or more vehicles.
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. Also,
because no definition exists in the Vehicle Code, the bill
also clarifies that caravans and motorcades consist of three
or more vehicles, consistent with the CHP's understanding.
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
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.
SB 431
Page 3
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.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified4/20/15)
UPS
Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association
Peloton Technology
OPPOSITION: (Verified4/20/15)
None received
Prepared by:Randy Chinn / T. & H. / (916) 651-4121
4/22/15 16:20:00
**** END ****