§ 55-8-202 — Motor vehicles equipped with autonomous technology

(a) No political subdivision may by ordinance, resolution, or any other means prohibit within the jurisdictional boundaries of the political subdivision the use of a motor vehicle equipped with autonomous technology if the motor vehicle otherwise complies with all safety regulations of the political subdivision. (b) (1) "Autonomous technology" means technology installed on a motor vehicle that has the capability to drive the vehicle on which the technology is installed in high or full automation mode, without any supervision by a human operator, with specific driving mode performance by the automated driving system of all aspects of the dynamic driving task that can be managed by a human driver, including the ability to automatically bring the motor vehicle into a minimal risk condition in the event of a critical vehicle or system failure or other emergency event; (2) "Driving mode" means a type of driving scenario with characteristic dynamic driving task requirements including, but not limited to, the following: (A) Expressway merging; (B) High speed cruising; (C) Low speed traffic jam; and (D) Closed-campus operations; (3) "Dynamic driving task" means the operational and tactical aspects of the driving task, but does not include the strategic aspect of the driving task; (4) "Operational" means steering, braking, accelerating, and monitoring the vehicle and roadway; (5) "Strategic" means determining destinations and waypoints; and (6) "Tactical" includes, but is not limited to, the following: (A) Responding to events; and (B) Determining when to change lanes, turn, or use signals.

Legislative History

Amended by 2016 Tenn. Acts, ch. 927,s 1, eff. 7/1/2016. Added by 2015 Tenn. Acts, ch. 307,s 1, eff. 4/24/2015.