Texas House Considers Autonomous Truck Ban

The Texas House recently introduced House Bill 4402. This bill, if passed, would require all self-driving vehicles to have a licensed “human operator” on board, capable of taking over driving when necessary.

The bill comes as autonomous vehicles flock onto Texas roads. Companies like Aurora and Gatik have recently begun operating self-driving commercial trucks within the state. Yet Texas already ranks first among US states for dangerous truck crashes. Adding autonomous vehicles could cause more harm than good. 

Driverless Commercial Trucks in Texas

In mid-2025, Gatik began transporting freight on US roads, using medium-duty trucks. The company says it has completed over 60,000 trips without incident – all handled by fully autonomous trucks with no human driver on board. The company uses 26-foot and 30-foot medium-duty autonomous trucks. 

Trucking company Aurora also operates driverless commercial vehicles in Texas. The Aurora Driver is a self-driving system designed for long-haul trucking. To date, the Aurora Driver has driven over 3 million miles and made over 10,000 deliveries, according to the company. Top Aurora customers include Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines.

Gatik currently operates trucks in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Phoenix, Arizona, and northwest Arkansas. Aurora’s trucks transport loads between Dallas and Houston. Aurora plans to expand into El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona.

Texas Ranks First in the US for Large Truck Crashes

Texas currently leads the nation in dangerous commercial truck crashes, according to an article in the Texas Tribune. Meanwhile, federal enforcement of trucking safety standards has slowed as well, decreasing 60 percent and leaving nearly 70 repeat-offender trucking companies on the road. 

There’s still not enough evidence to determine whether autonomous trucks will be safer than human-driven trucks. However, it is clear that safety enforcement will be necessary whether trucks are driven by people, computers, or a combination of both. 

Trucking companies that cut corners on safety with humans behind the wheel will likely continue to do so when the truck is driven by a computer. Negligence in truck safety will continue to cause accidents, even if autonomous systems take the wheel. 

Risks of Autonomous Trucks on Texas Roads

Nearly every day, news of a large truck crash involving a human driver reaches the airwaves in the United States. These news reports raise questions about whether autonomous trucks would be safer than placing human drivers behind the wheel – especially when a crash involves driver negligence, intoxication, distraction, or drowsiness.

Autonomous trucks, however, face many of the same risks as human-driven trucks. For instance, hidden defects in an autonomous truck’s equipment or parts can trigger a crash. Incorrectly loaded cargo can still shift or fall during transport, causing injuries. Trucking companies that fail to choose effective autonomous driving systems, oversee them properly, or provide regular maintenance may also lead to a collision.

Autonomous trucks also pose unique challenges that human-driven vehicles do not. An autonomous truck relies on its computerized system, including its connections to the Internet and to sensor grids. These connection points are potentially vulnerable to cyberattacks or remote manipulation.

Driverless trucks can also fail to drive safely. Their systems can misanalyze a situation, leading to collisions. In one Kansas accident, a driverless semi collided with a nearby home after its brakes failed to engage. The trucks also commonly engage in “phantom braking,” or braking when there’s no reason to do so. Hard braking, especially on freeways, can trigger pile-ups and other serious accidents. Phantom braking can also cause a semi to jackknife or roll over. 

What Will Come About This Bill? 

Autonomous large trucks sometimes struggle to compensate for the unpredictable behavior of human drivers in surrounding vehicles. As any professional truck driver knows, fellow commuters can be extremely unpredictable.

The Texas House bill seeks to address some safety issues with autonomous trucks. By having a human driver on board, legislators hope to provide a backup if truck systems are hijacked in a cyberattack or fail to respond. 

Simply putting a human in an autonomous vehicle, however, may raise its own problems. Studies show that humans’ attention spans aren’t equipped for the demands of taking over from a self-driving car in a sudden emergency. Humans are especially slow to take over if their attention is wandering from the road, which is more likely to happen if the truck is doing most of the driving.

Contact Our Truck Accident Attorneys at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys Today

If you or someone you love is injured in a large truck crash, speak to a top-rated Dallas commercial truck accident attorney today. The team at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys can help. Call us today at (940) 800-2500 or fill out an online form to get started and learn about your options.