TEAMSTERS TO DMV: Too Little, Too Late
October 27, 2023
Step in the Right Direction Not a Substitute for Human Operators
(SAN FRANCISCO) – the following is a statement from Peter Finn, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 856, regarding the California Dept. of Motor Vehicles’ decision to suspend the autonomous vehicle company Cruise’s license to operate in the City of San Francisco. The announcement comes hours after the Teamsters and their allies held a rally to demand better regulation for driverless cars outside of the company’s headquarters.
“The DMV’s decision to suspend Cruise’s operating license is a step in the right direction, but it’s too little, too late. The Teamsters will not be appeased by baby steps or half-measures.
“We are also disappointed to see that the DMV is providing Cruise with a pathway to apply for license re-instatement. The agency itself has alleged that Cruise misrepresented information related to the safety of its vehicles. This company doesn’t deserve a second chance.
“Regulatory bodies should have enough foresight and operational savvy to know that the responsible thing to do is to make sure that automated driving systems are safe before they are introduced to the general public – not after they are introduced, and certainly not after driverless cars have caused traffic jams, injuries, and obstructions to first responders.
“This is exactly why Gov. Newsom made a grave error when he went against his own constituents and vetoed Assembly Bill 316 – driverless cars and trucks are too big of an issue to be regulated by the DMV. At best, the agency will be reactive, at worst, nonresponsive. Furthermore, if one of the biggest driverless car companies in the world can’t safely deploy small passenger cars, it should go without saying that we need to pass legislation that requires human operators in all vehicles over 10,000 lbs.
“Regulators and lawmakers need to stop letting Big Tech use California as a playpen for its expensive toys. It’s only a matter of time before this results in a fatality.
Founded in 1949, Teamsters Local 856 represents over 17,000 hardworking members in the San Francisco Bay Area, North Bay, Sacramento, and Central Valley communities. For more information, go to Teamsters856.org/.
