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Austin, Texas – Fully driverless semi-trucks are now operating on North Texas highways. In April, Aurora Innovation launched its first autonomous commercial trucking route on Interstate 45 between Dallas and Houston. The Pittsburgh-based tech company described the move as a breakthrough in logistics. However, safety advocates are raising concerns about the absence of meaningful regulation.
Aurora’s 18-wheelers are equipped with radars and cameras to navigate roads without a human driver. The technology also includes sensors that can detect objects up to 1,000 feet away. The trucks are designed to run 24/7, a solution the company says will help meet growing demand in the shipping industry and address labor shortages.
Although Aurora has logged billions of miles in simulations and over three million miles of testing on public roads, experts caution that real-world conditions such as bad weather, construction zones and unpredictable human drivers remain a serious challenge.
“While innovation is exciting, having heavy trucks on the highway with no one behind the wheel and limited oversight raises safety concerns, especially when unexpected situations arise,” said Brooks Schuelke of Schuelke Law, an Austin personal injury law firm. “Taking the driver out of the equation does not eliminate the risks of truck accidents that can cause serious injuries or even fatalities.”
Aurora has reported one accident involving a driverless truck between Fort Worth and El Paso, which was attributed to another vehicle. The company has operated two trucks on Texas interstates thus far, but only during the daytime in good weather. There are plans to expand operations to at least 20 driverless trucks by the end of the year.
“Self-driving cars already operate in Austin, and they have already demonstrated limitations. While we’re anecdotal, me or members of my family have seen self–driving cars cut people off, drive dangerously slow in traffic, become confused by traffic signals and just stop in an intersection, and more. These risks are bad enough with cars, but the dangers multiply when larger autonomous vehicles are on the roads,” said Schuelke. “Despite rigorous testing, it’s important to have clear safety standards in place before a wider rollout of driverless trucks.”
No comprehensive federal regulations currently exist that specifically govern autonomous trucks. The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are working with state governments and industry stakeholders to develop safety frameworks. Meanwhile, Texas is among several states that have begun passing legislation to manage autonomous vehicle operations.
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