Study: Autonomous vehicles could save hundreds of lives if they are more widely deployed

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AV PROPONENTS SAY THAT THEY WOULD SAVE LIVES IF MORE WIDELY DEPLOYED

Had they been more widely deployed between 2020 and 2022, autonomous vehicles, also known as AVs, self-driving cars or robotaxis, could have prevented more than 1,300 traffic fatalities, according to a report published Tuesday by the Chamber of Progress, a center-left, tech-industry-funded advocacy group.

The report points to rising statewide traffic fatalities from 2019 to 2022, from 3,438 in 2019 to 4,166 in 2022.

That same report found that self-driving cars could have prevented more than 5,000 injuries in that same timespan, according to “an optimistic scenario which assumes that 13% of vehicles are replaced by AVs.”

That same optimistic scenario found that nearly 15,000 annual minor injuries could be prevented, and 46,000 in the 2020-2022 time period.

This report comes amid damaging high profile instances of AVs harming pedestrians, including one incident in October 2023 where a pedestrian struck by a human-driven vehicle then was run over by an AV in San Francisco.

Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San Jose, has introduced legislation, SB 915, that would give local municipalities a say on whether to allow AVs in their jurisdictions. Currently, AV operations are regulated by the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Public Utilities Commission.

“If AVs were more fully embraced in California, Californians could see a decrease in fatalities, serious injuries and minor injuries from traffic accidents. But if cities are allowed to block AVs from the streets, we’re likely to see the unsafe status quo,” the report concludes.

CENTRAL VALLEY FARMERS GET SLIGHTLY MORE WATER THAN EXPECTED

Via Gillian Brassil...

The federal and state controllers of California’s main water delivery systems announced more 2024 allocations for farmers, families and cities than previously expected—but the projections are lower than last year, when agricultural and urban contractors got 100% of their contracted total.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which runs the Central Valley Project, bolstered estimates for 2024 deliveries for farmers and cities that rely on the project’s water south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta on Friday.

Reclamation, the federal agency that oversees federal water infrastructure, estimated agricultural groups south of the Delta would get 35% of their historical use, up from the announced 15% in February. Municipal and industrial groups south of the Delta are slated to get 75% of their historic use, up from 65%.

That’s not enough, congressional lawmakers in the San Joaquin Valley said, for the region that supplies about a third of the nation’s produce. Agricultural producers rely on water projections to make plans for the upcoming year.

“The updated March water allocations announced by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation are disappointing and should be higher,” said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno.

A drier-than-anticipated January gave way to storms toward the end of February, allowing Reclamation to increase the deliveries.

“While the series of storms in Northern California improved the water supply outlook, a number of factors, particularly anticipated regulatory constraints throughout the spring, continue to limit the water supply allocation for south-of-Delta agriculture,” said California-Great Basin Regional Director Karl Stock.

North of the Delta, groups will get 100% of their contract total, up from the expected 75%. All other amounts announced on Feb. 21 will remain at 100%, Reclamation announced.

“These increased allocation numbers are welcome news, but they don’t go far enough to help our CVP contractors who have received well below their contracted supply for years,” said Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, a lifelong Central Valley dairy farmer. “Recent storms and a strong snowpack should give Reclamation the flexibility to get Central Valley users the water they contract and pay for.”

The State Water Project, which California’s Department of Water Resources oversees, also announced Friday that contractors south of the Delta will receive 30% of requested water. Contractors north of the Delta will get 50% and Feather River Settlement Contractors will get 100%, the DWR anticipated.

The statewide snowpack was 98% of its historical average on Friday. In addition to resources, environmental and other regulations affect how much water can be captured and delivered. Changes in weather and estimated water resources will continue to alter the projected 2024 deliveries.

Thanks to an extremely wet winter in 2023, water managers that year were able to offer contractors 100% of what they requested for the first time in nearly two decades.

This year’s current projections are lower than what was delivered last year, but there’s still time for 2024 estimates to change. And assuming they stay at this level or improve, they’ll be greater than in 2022 when state allocations were just 5% after years of drought.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Congratulations, Donald. Quite the accomplishment.”

- President Joe Biden, serving up some snark in response to former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social post bragging about winning two trophies from one of his golf clubs, via X, formerly Twitter.

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