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Senate committee approves amendment to bar oversized vehicles from autonomous operation
Summary
The Senate committee approved SB309, an amendment clarifying that oversized or overweight vehicles may not operate autonomously and that the state and local governments are not required to upgrade roads to accommodate autonomous vehicles.
A Senate committee approved SB309, an amendment clarifying two limits on autonomous vehicles: oversized or overweight vehicles required to be permitted because of weight, width, length, or height would not be permitted to operate autonomously; and the autonomous-vehicle law passed last year does not require counties, municipalities or the state to upgrade roads to accommodate autonomous vehicles.
Josh Phillips of the Alabama Department of Transportation told the committee the amendment ‘‘clarifies that oversized overweight vehicles are not to be operated autonomously and also that last year's legislation does not require counties or municipalities or the state to upgrade its transportation system to accommodate autonomous vehicles.’’
Senator Sessions moved the amendment and Senator Williams seconded. The committee took a roll call and recorded affirmative votes from the senators present; the motion carried.
The amendment was described as a narrow clarification to last year's legislation that permitted autonomous vehicles on Alabama roadways. Committee members did not record additional amendments during the hearing; the committee adjourned after the vote.
