Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) plans to introduce a bill that would effectively ban fully autonomous driving in the U.S.
‘Terrible For Working People,' Says Josh Hawley
The senator said that autonomous vehicles should be banned and that these vehicles would be "terrible for working people," Business Insider reported on Tuesday. The report also suggests that Hawley was working on a bill called the "Autonomous Vehicle Safety Act."
The bill pushes for self-driving cars on public roads to have onboard safety operators. He had also recently said that "only humans should drive cars and trucks," the report said.
His comments stem in part from autonomous vehicles posing a threat to professions like cab drivers and truckers. "If AVs become the norm, the Teamsters won’t exist anymore," he said in the report, but clarified he did not have a problem with AI-powered driver assistance systems.
Cab Drivers Decry Waymo, DOT Eases Autonomous Vehicle Regulations
Recently, cab drivers in NYC had called on the state's governor, Kathy Hochul, to halt Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) self-driving cab company Waymo's testing operations in the city, as it could affect the livelihoods of the drivers.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had proposed easing self-driving regulations governing autonomous vehicles, saying that the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were written with humans in mind.
Tougher Oversight On Autonomous Driving, Tesla's Robotaxi Expansion
Despite Duffy's proposed easing of restrictions, however, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the NHTSA, Jonathan Morisson, had called for tougher oversight on autonomous driving in the U.S., signaling different approaches to the phenomenon within the Trump camp.
Elsewhere, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) has expanded its robotaxi operations in Austin, which now also operates on the highway. However, the company has moved the onboard safety operator to the driver's seat.
Tesla Robotaxi App, Waymo Expands To San Jose
Tesla also recently rolled out its Robotaxi app on the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) App Store, which quickly climbed the downloads charts. Once downloaded, the users have to join a mandatory waitlist before being able to use the service.
On the other hand, Waymo has announced it is beginning testing operations in the premises of the San Jose airport, making the airport the first in the U.S. to allow self-driving cabs within its area.
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Photo courtesy: Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
