Safety Expert Amy Witherite Calls for Greater Oversight Following GM’s Decision to Scrap Robotaxi in Texas and Georgia

By: Witherite Law Group via Business Wire

December 11, 2024 at 12:33 PM EST

Safety advocate and attorney Amy Witherite, whose firm specializes in motor vehicle accidents, says that General Motor’s decision to halt its Cruise robotaxi program should serve as a warning to regulators and the public, that self-driving technology is not to put on our streets and highways. Cruise vehicles had been undergoing testing in Dallas and Houston. The decision to stop the robotaxi program comes at a time when other companies are testing self-driving 18-wheelers on major highways in Texas and Georgia, raising further safety concerns.

According to Fleet Owner, DHL Supply Chain is moving goods with self-driving trucks in Texas through a new partnership with Volvo Autonomous Solutions. Self-driving trucks with safety monitors have already begun moving freight between Dallas and Houston with plans to expand between Fort Worth and El Paso.

A recently opened trucking facility in Villa Rica was created to serve autonomous trucks driving the heavily traveled Dallas-to-Atlanta corridor. Georgia law allows the operation of autonomous vehicles without an operator or driver.

“Multiple incidents, some fatal, involving various forms of self-driving vehicles ranging from Cruise to Tesla have shown that this technology is not ready to be tested on our streets and highways,” said Amy Witherite, a safety advocate and founder of the Witherite Law Group.

“In the U.S., over 20 states expressly allow the driverless deployment of autonomous trucks, including Texas a target market for companies promoting this technology,” said Witherite. “In the current regulatory environment trucking companies and others involved in that industry, stand to make tens of millions of dollars through equipment sales and by eliminating drivers and keeping trucks on the road for longer periods of time will be the final decision makers concerning whether this technology is safe.”

Witherite Law Group specializes in vehicle accident cases and offers crucial support for individuals involved in accidents with driverless vehicles. For more information visit their website. www.witheritelaw.com.