Rules for testing autonomous vehicles in Illinois could come up again during the so-called veto session in November. The bill’s chief sponsor noted, however, that much work remains to be done.
Autonomous vehicles are motor vehicles equipped with an automated driving system. They are not currently available for sale, but autonomous taxis, known as robotaxis, operate in several places in the U.S., including San Francisco, California, and Austin, Texas. Autonomous vehicles are not yet permitted on the roads in Illinois. However, Democratic state Rep. Kam Buckner has introduced House Bill 4663, which would allow autonomous cars to be tested and deployed in Illinois.
So far, work on the bill in the General Assembly has stalled. Buckner has also called on the newly created Northern Illinois Transit Authority to examine how autonomous vehicles could operate alongside the existing public transit network if they were legalized. Buckner’s bill would create the Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Project Act.
Under the bill, testing would be limited to counties with more than 1 million residents, as well as Sangamon County and the Metro East region, which includes Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties. Buckner stressed, however, that the proposed rules would not automatically allow autonomous vehicles onto public roads. The organization Active Transportation Alliance pointed to another bill that has stalled in the state legislature in Springfield: House Bill 4789. It would create the Automated Driving Systems Development Act, which would bring stricter enforcement measures and establish a review board within the Illinois transportation department. Waymo test cars with no drivers have already appeared in the Chicago area.
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Source: Polski.FM
