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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, Second Regular Session
autonomous
vehicles; safety features; prohibitions
(NOW: prohibitions; autonomous vehicles; safety features)
Purpose
Prohibits a person from installing or using a defeat device to override safety features in an autonomous vehicle with certain exceptions.
Background
The Society of Automotive Engineering Standard J3016 defines five levels of driving automation. Levels zero, one and two of driving automation contain driver support features designed to aide a person while driving, but the person must constantly supervise the features and the vehicle to maintain safety. Levels three and four of driving automation contain automated driving features designed to drive the vehicle when certain conditions are met. Level five of driving automation contains automated driving features that can drive the vehicle under all conditions (SAE Standard J3016).
A
manufacturer is a person who either: 1) manufactures or assembles new
vehicles; or
2) manufactures or installs special equipment on a previously-assembled truck
that forms an integral part of the new vehicle.
A motor vehicle dealer is a new or used motor vehicle dealer, a public consignment auction dealer, a broker or wholesale motor vehicle auction dealer, excluding a person who comes into possession of a motor vehicle as an incident to the person's regular business and who sells, auctions or exchanges the motor vehicle (A.R.S. § 28-4301).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits a person from installing or using a defeat device to interfere with or disable a safety feature of a vehicle that has level two, three, four or five driving automation that is designed to ensure a human driver is attentive while driving a vehicle.
2. Exempts both of the following from defeat device prohibitions:
a) an entity authorized to test and operate vehicles with automated driving systems pursuant to executive orders or other programs; and
b) a motor vehicle manufacturer, service center, motor vehicle dealer or automated vehicle technology developer that is making manufacturer-approved modifications.
3. Defines install or use a defeat device as any of the following:
a) interfering with or disabling the vehicle's computer program beyond the options that are made available by a motor vehicle manufacturer or automated vehicle technology developer;
b) mechanically interfering with or disabling the vehicle beyond the recommendations of the motor vehicle manufacturer or automated vehicle technology developer; or
c) interfering or disabling safety features of the vehicle by placing any physical device, including a weight, on the vehicle's steering wheel.
4. Defines automated driving system as the hardware and software that are capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task on a sustained basis, regardless of whether it is limited to a specific operational design.
5. Prescribes the same meaning to manufacturer and motor vehicle dealer as provided in statute.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
TECH 2/5/20 DPA 7-0-0-0
TRANS 2/19/20 DPA/SE 8-0-0-1
3rd Read 2/26/20 58-1-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 9, 2020
ZD/OL/kja