House Bill 4085 would allow companies such as Waymo to deploy fully automated cars in Oregon with no human driver on board, including for delivery services or passenger rides. Waymo offers those services in several major U.S. cities and has been eyeing Portland as it rapidly expands to more states.
Waymo has published data showing that its autonomous cars experience significantly lower crash rates than cars driven by people. It has also received pushback in some cities, particularly from rideshare drivers, who argue that the company’s autonomous cars threaten their jobs.
Rep. Susan McLain, a Forest Grove Democrat who introduced the bill, said automated cars represent an “opportunity for people who really care about getting around that can’t drive themselves and want to have more choices.”
McLain chairs the House Transportation Committee, where the bill will be considered first. The proposal is also sponsored by six other lawmakers from both parties.
Waymo’s vehicles are all-electric and come equipped with cameras and sensors that detect vehicles, pedestrians, road markings, traffic signals and other objects. Before rolling out fully-autonomous fleets in a new city, human drivers create detailed maps of the expanded zone to help the cars navigate the area.
Notably, the bill would limit cities’ ability to regulate companies like Waymo. As introduced, it would prevent local governments from banning self-driving cars or imposing taxes or fees that apply only to autonomous vehicle operators. McLain pointed out that cities could still impose local fees on Waymo or similar companies that currently apply to other ride providers, like Uber or Lyft.
The bill would put the Oregon Department of Transportation in charge of authorizing and regulating autonomous vehicle operators and setting insurance and safety regulations. Companies would have to submit applications with detailed information about each car and its various settings and verify that an employee would be available to assist with any emergencies whenever its self-driving cars are in use.
If the bill passes, McLain said she expects that Waymo would begin mapping the Portland area with human drivers around 2027 before rolling out a fully-automated fleet. McLain said she met with representatives from the League of Oregon Cities, the city of Portland and other interested groups before introducing the bill.
Waymo has recently ramped up its expansion efforts both in Oregon and other states. In the last two months alone, Waymo has begun testing or rolled out fully autonomous fleets in Baltimore, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Pittsburgh, according to its website. The company spent thousands of dollars lobbying Portland city officials late last year, city records show.
The company’s autonomous vehicles have received some scrutiny following high-profile crashes, especially those involving animals or children. Last month in Santa Monica, California, for example, a Waymo vehicle reportedly struck a child after the minor emerged from behind a tall vehicle and walked into the path of the self-driving car. The child sustained minor injuries, the company reported.
In a blog post detailing the incident, the company pointed out that the car drastically reduced its speed once it detected the child.
Waymo says its overall safety benefits far outweigh the impacts of infrequent crashes, stating that its cars experience 90% fewer crashes resulting in serious injuries or death compared to human drivers in its current operating cities who travel the same distance.
“They’re not 100% perfect,” Michael Magee, public policy manager for Waymo, told a group of Oregon lawmakers during a presentation in October. “You absolutely ... might have seen articles or media attention that says a Waymo is doing a silly thing here or there. But if you look at the aggregate data, what we’ve seen is that we are improving safety overall.”
The proposal comes at an inopportune time for the Oregon Department of Transportation, which would have to develop the underlying regulations in the bill and is facing a nearly $300 million budget shortfall through the end of next year.
Chris Crabb, a spokesperson for the transportation agency, told The Oregonian/OregonLive Tuesday that agency staff have discussed the bill with Waymo representatives and lawmakers and provided feedback. Crabb said the agency doesn’t know yet how much it would cost to implement the bill.
It’s unclear if the proposal has enough support to pass in this year’s short session, which started Monday and must end by March 8. McLain said she expects lawmakers will make at least some minor tweaks to the bill.
Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, a Republican from Albany and a chief sponsor of the bill, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that she understands the concerns about job losses but said welcoming the new technology into Oregon could lead to more jobs down the road.
“The bigger picture for Oregon is that autonomous vehicles have economic development and tourism upsides,” she said, adding that the bill would attract businesses to the state “instead of watching that investment go to places with more welcoming regulatory environments.”
The bill is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 9.
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