By Lauren Lifke
A bill that would provide safety requirements for autonomous vehicle operations in the state will likely die without ever getting through its first committee assignment.
The state currently allows for autonomous motor vehicle testing without a human driver present.
House Bill 148, sponsored by Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil, D-Albuquerque, would enact the Autonomous Vehicle Act, which would require all autonomous vehicles to have a human operator until 2036. It would also require testing and safety plans for the vehicles, limit their operations on public roadways, provide for incident reporting, require a specific driver’s license endorsement for people who operate autonomous vehicles, and add insurance requirements for autonomous vehicles.
Hochman-Vigil said her intention was to ensure guidelines were in place before driverless cars hit the road in New Mexico.
“The thought process was, eventually, when these companies went commercial, they needed to be regulated,” Hochman-Vigil said. “To ensure safety practices, and that these vehicles are on the road in a manner that’s safe and productive.”
The bill was briefly debated during a committee hearing last month, but was never voted on. With about a week left in the session, Hochman-Vigil said it’s unlikely that a bill of its kind will be heard before next year.
“We’re really going to have to find a delicate balance between supporting a burgeoning industry while also maintaining safety,” Hochman-Vigil said.
The House Transportation, Public Works and Capital Improvements Committee wanted more work on the labor portion of the bill, mandating that the driver be in a cabin for a specific period of time, she said.
Attorney Mike Sievers said he predicts a dire outcome without a law governing autonomous vehicles.
“Without this bill, out-of-state corporations will continue to exploit our highways, risking both public safety and well-paying trucking jobs,” Sievers said in a statement.
The bill also needed to have more input from stakeholders, Hochman-Vigil said, including the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
“I plan to pass it next year,” Hochman-Vigil said. “We’re going to do a lot of work on it in the interim.”
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