Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
At 8 p.m. in downtown Austin, the parking lot witnesses a quiet departure of electric cars, one after another, devoid of any drivers. Within the Cruise depot, a multitude of individuals diligently readies the vehicles for another night dedicated to road testing.
There are about 125 autonomous vehicles, or AVs, operating in Austin, according to a city Transportation and Public Works Department memorandum.
The exact number of statewide operating companies remains unclear. The Texas Department of Transportation reports that numerous companies, including Kodiak, Aurora, Waabi, Torc, Plus.AI, Gatik, Cruise, Volkswagen, Waymo, Starship, Kiwibot, Coco, Refraction.AI, Nuro, and Clevon, are currently testing and utilizing driverless vehicles for various purposes such as passenger transportation, freight delivery, and personal delivery services across the state.
This is the essential information you should know about autonomous vehicles in Texas.
When did driverless vehicles become legal in Texas?
Senate Bill 2205, which took effect in September 2017, set the ground rules to regulate AVs in the state.
State Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville and chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, said that around six years ago, “pretty much all of the car manufacturers that you can imagine (came) saying we do need legislation because they want to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the state of Texas related to autonomous vehicles.”
After discussions with the Texas Department of Transportation, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Department of Motor Vehicles, auto manufacturers and insurance companies, Nichols said he worked with Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, who sponsored SB 2205.
Hancock explained that as the future of AV technology seemed promising, they initiated a series of stakeholder meetings to draft legislation that would support transportation innovation without hindering it. Their aim was to establish a regulatory framework prioritizing public safety.
A significant provision in the bill was implemented to enhance the industry and expedite the technology’s development in Texas; it prohibited cities from interfering.
In a memo dated September 1, Richard Mendoza, the interim director of Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department, stated that it is unequivocally true that cities in Texas lack the authority to govern autonomous vehicles.
If various cities were to establish different regulations, it could pose significant challenges for the industry, according to Collin Moffett, a senior transportation planner at the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
Moffett expressed that the state’s provision of consistent policy throughout Texas is highly advantageous and expedites the progress of this technology.
Do AVs need to be licensed in Texas?
Indeed, autonomous vehicles are required by law to undergo inspection and obtain a license, although the protocols may diverge from those applied to conventional cars.
The Texas Department of Public Safety states that if a vehicle is fully automated, there is no need for a licensed human operator to be present in the vehicle. In this case, the vehicle is considered to have its own license to drive. The owner of the vehicle is then regarded as the operator responsible for ensuring compliance with traffic laws.
But a brief published by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute in 2017 noted that under the state law regulating AVs, “there are no licensing or registration requirements for verifying the capabilities of the automated driving system.”
How do driverless vehicles work?
The AV is fitted with a variety of sensors, including cameras, radar, and lidar, which collectively offer a comprehensive perspective of its surroundings. Additionally, it utilizes GPS to monitor its precise location. Real-time data from these sensors is fed into the car’s artificial intelligence system, empowering it to make critical decisions like selecting a suitable route and recognizing traffic lights, road signs, and various objects.
What’s it like to ride in an AV?
The reporter and photographer from the Texas Tribune hopped into a car named “Cookie” after requesting a ride through the Cruise mobile app.
The sedan was adorned with a vibrant orange and white paint job, and it boasted ample space to accommodate five passengers in the back. Additionally, a mounted structure was positioned on the roof to house all the cameras and sensors.
Cruise, established in 2013 in San Francisco, provides a driverless ride service via a mobile app. Additionally, the company operates a driverless ride hail service in downtown, Central, and East Austin from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Upon entering, a prerecorded female voice greeted us with a warm “Welcome,” urging us to buckle up our seat belts. The recording then informed us, “Let the journey begin! To ensure safety, video recording is in progress, while audio is not.” Apart from this, the interior resembled an ordinary car, with the only exception being a transparent plastic partition that stood between us and the front of the vehicle.
The digital map displayed on screens attached to the front seatbacks indicated Cookie’s planned route to our destination while also granting us the option to choose from a selection of up to eight radio stations. As the car navigated through downtown Austin traffic, the steering wheel seemed to maneuver on its own. Though the AV often traveled at a slower pace compared to other vehicles nearby, it occasionally took corners with surprising speed.
The car seemingly detected a collision that didn’t actually happen. Suddenly, an alert popped up on the front seat screens, causing the car to briefly pause. Shortly after, a human voice emanated from a speaker, inquiring about our well-being.
Have AVs been involved in accidents?
Yes.
The Austin Transportation and Public Works Department received a report about a September accident stating that between 11:19 p.m. and midnight on 9/18, a resident’s car was hit by an autonomous (driverless) Cruise vehicle. The incident occurred in the 3rd lane from the north curb as the autonomous vehicle merged in front of the resident’s car. Unfortunately, the vehicle left the scene without stopping.
According to a separate report dated September 14th, a driver observed a close call incident involving autonomous vehicles (AVs) and informed the authorities. The driver and their spouse were halted at the junction of E. 11th St. and the frontage road of Interstate 35 when a substantial fleet of emergency vehicles swiftly passed by them.
According to the report, when the traffic lights turned green for East/Westbound traffic, two Cruise AVs disregarded the emergency vehicles and directly entered the intersection. State Trooper SUVs, traveling at high speeds of 60-70 mph, had to abruptly slow down and maneuver around the slow-moving Cruise AVs. The report describes this situation as both absurd and unacceptable.
On August 23, a Cruise AV collided with a brick wall on West Avenue in Austin. As the vehicle lacked a steering wheel, emergency personnel faced difficulty in promptly relocating it. Consequently, a tow truck had to be summoned.
From July 8 to Sept. 25, the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department received a total of 33 complaints. However, it is worth noting that the Texas Department of Transportation has no obligation to monitor AV incidents on a statewide level.
According to a spokesperson from Cruise, their cars have autonomously covered over 4 million miles without causing any life-threatening injuries or deaths. Furthermore, when compared to human drivers in similar driving conditions, Cruise AVs were found to be involved in 65% fewer accidents in total.
At a national level, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gathers data about crashes involving vehicles using automated driving systems.
From July 2021 to Aug. 15, the NHTSA recorded a total of 382 accidents involving self-driving vehicles. California emerged as the top state with 66% of the reported incidents, trailed by Arizona at 15%, Texas at 6%, and Florida at 4%.
During the span of two years, approximately 85% of the accidents resulted in no reported injuries, while only one instance of severe injury requiring hospitalization or emergency treatment was reported.
Over the past few months, numerous photos and videos have surfaced on social media depicting Cruise AVs causing traffic disruptions by coming to a halt on Austin streets. On certain occasions, law enforcement officers have stepped in to redirect traffic while awaiting the arrival of company staff to relocate the immobilized vehicles.
Who is responsible for an AV accident?
According to the Texas Transportation Code, the individual who owns the automated driving system is deemed as the operator of the automated motor vehicle for the specific purpose of evaluating adherence to relevant traffic or motor vehicle regulations, irrespective of their physical presence in the vehicle during its operation.
It remains uncertain if any operators of automated driving systems in Texas have faced penalties for any incidents. When reached for comment, state agencies and the Austin Public Works and Transportation Department either lacked information regarding fines or redirected the Tribune to another agency.
Are driverless vehicles going to be in competition with human drivers?
Moffett predicts that within the next few years, the utilization of autonomous vehicles will extend to various services, including the transportation of individuals with disabilities and the provision of transportation and delivery services in remote regions with low population density.
He stated, “I am unable to predict the long-term impact on human drivers. In my opinion, it is too soon to make any conclusions.”
“Automation should not instill fear in people,” emphasized Nichols, the state senator, as he highlighted the positive impact it has on productivity. Acknowledging the natural apprehensions that arise when venturing into uncharted territories, he expressed his own concerns but stressed the importance of resolving them through collaborative efforts.
Disclosure: Texas A&M Transportation Institute has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
