Brooks Schuelke of Schuelke Law Comments on Self-Driving Semis on Austin Highways

Highways between Austin and other major Texas cities are often full of semi trucks hauling cargo. To date, each truck has always had a human driver behind the wheel. Autonomous trucking company Aurora seeks to change that situation – prompting a response from Schuelke Law’s Brooke Schuelke. 

Dallas-based Aurora recently announced that it is performing test drives of autonomous trucks on I-45 between Dallas and Houston. The company reports a goal of full truck automation by the end of 2024. 

Currently, human drivers remain behind the wheel of these autonomous vehicles. Full automation intends to do away with a human driver, allowing trucks to travel Texas roads independently. 

Self-driving semis could have far-reaching effects on the US trucking industry, which is currently one of the nation’s largest employers. They could also raise new and untested legal questions. For instance, if an autonomous semi causes a crash, it may be difficult to determine who is at fault – the trucking company, the creator of the self-driving software, or another party. 

Aurora is not the first company to experiment with autonomous driving. Earlier efforts by other companies, however, have been rife with problems – including self-driving technologies that fail to recognize pedestrians, bicyclists, or even large obstacles like another semi-truck. In some cases, the resulting accidents have claimed lives. In others, they left people with serious injuries. 

While full automation sounds exciting, lawmakers are taking a more cautious approach. Currently, all self-driving or driver-assist technologies on US roads must be supplemented with a human driver. The human driver must remain alert and ready to take over at any moment. 

Lawmakers may be willing to ease these rules at some point in the future. It is likely, however, that both Texas and federal legislators will expect to see a long track record of safety from autonomous driving technologies before they allow cars to travel without any human driver. 

Personal injury attorneys like the team at Schuelke Law also caution against adopting autonomous driving technology too quickly. They note that there are still many unanswered questions about both safety and liability. While developing new technologies is important, it should not come at the expense of human lives.