Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, July 10, 2025:
Colorado governor vetoes bill to ban driverless trucks
A bill passed by the Colorado legislature that would have banned the use of driverless commercial vehicles in the state was vetoed last month by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
The bill, HB 25-1122, would have prohibited the use of autonomous driving systems on Colorado roadways unless a CDL holder:
- Was physically present in the truck
- Was seated in the driver’s seat while hazmat was being transported
- Monitored the performance of the truck while driving
- Intervened, if necessary, to avoid illegal or unsafe driving of the vehicle
The penalties for violating the provisions of the bill would have been $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 for a second offense, and would have doubled for each subsequent offense.
In vetoing the bill, Polis said the legislation “would effectively create a first-in-the-nation prohibition on autonomous commercial vehicle testing and operations.”
Polis added that “[d]river error is the leading cause of accidents. Preserving tools which could make Coloradans safer is critical, especially as we’ve observed higher crash rates nationwide.” He noted that requiring a driver to be present in the autonomous truck “may undermine innovation of future technologies that could increase road safety.”
Pennsylvania upping aggressive driving enforcement
More than 80 municipal police departments will be joining the Pennsylvania State Police in a coordinated aggressive driving enforcement campaign over the next month.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that police departments from Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties will join the Pennsylvania State Police in the effort, which is part of a statewide mobilization running through Aug. 17. The goal of the campaign is to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities on Pennsylvania roadways.
The enforcement wave will target heavy truck violations, pedestrian safety, red light running, speeding, and tailgating. Motorists demonstrating unsafe behaviors, such as driving too fast for conditions or other aggressive actions, will also be cited.
Law enforcement will utilize strategies such as traffic enforcement zones, saturation patrols, speed enforcement details, corridor enforcement, work zone enforcement, and multi-jurisdictional patrols to identify and cite aggressive drivers.
According to 2024 PennDOT crash data, there were 1,608 aggressive driving crashes, resulting in 43 fatalities and 99 suspected serious injuries in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Aggressive driving crashes involve at least two aggressive driving factors in the same crash. Factors include, but are not limited to, running stop signs or red lights, tailgating, careless turning or passing, and driving too fast for conditions.
FMCSA provisionally renews exemption for Virginia DMV
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has received a provisional renewal from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that allows truck and bus drivers who are licensed in Virginia and need a Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMV) in interstate commerce.
The exemption enables interstate CMV drivers who are licensed in Virginia and are subject to the federal SPE certificate requirements to continue to fulfill the federal requirements with a state-issued SPE certificate that qualifies such drivers to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.
Commercial drivers who are otherwise qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle but are not physically qualified to drive under 49 CFR 391.49(b)(1) or (2) because of a loss or impairment of limbs can drive a CMV if FMCSA has granted an SPE certificate to that person.
A 2014 exemption granted to the Virginia DMV allows Virginia-licensed drivers subject to the federal SPE certificate requirements to fulfil the federal requirements with a state-issued SPE certificate. The exemption has been renewed several times since it was initially granted, and the most recent extension expired on July 7.
With the provisional renewal, the exemption is now in effect for the next six months. FMCSA is also accepting comments on a request to fully renew the exemption. Those comments can be filed here through Aug. 6. After a review of the public comments, FMCSA will issue a decision on whether the exemption should be renewed through July 3030.
