Iowa legislators are considering new limits on self-driving, or autonomous, vehicles.
A bill under consideration in the Iowa House would require self-driving commercial vehicles to have a licensed human driver inside the vehicle. A lobbyist for the Teamsters union, which represents some semi drivers, says the technology is not yet advanced enough to safely operate commercial vehicles without a driver and notes that some driverless trucks have been involved in crashes.
A representative for ABATE of Iowa, which represents motorcyclists, says the group is concerned autonomous vehicles may not consistently recognize motorcycles on the road.
A lobbyist representing automobile manufacturers says vehicle standards should be set by the federal government rather than individual states.
A separate bill would place liability for accidents or damage involving a driverless vehicle on the owner of the vehicle.
