After the tragic, fatal, and avoidable crash of Uber’s self-driving car, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey suspended the company’s ability to test drive these autonomous vehicles. The governor’s most important responsibility is to ensure the safety of his constituents, and Ducey answered the call.

While some point out that Ducey was originally enthusiastic about the possibility of these vehicles, he ultimately made the right call regarding safety. Uber and companies like Tesla have large pockets and lots of money to influence politicians. Ducey, however, made the decision to prioritize safety.

We Support Governor Ducey.

Class A Drivers applauds Ducey’s decision to suspend the testing of this potentially dangerous technology, and we will share his political bravery with our community of over 300,000 truck drivers, for whom safe roads are a top priority.

Ducey’s decision also caused a ripple effect, as Uber decided to suspend its own testing in California, as well as the cities of Pittsburgh and Toronto. Uber is under severe fire as reports have also shown that Uber scaled back the number of sensors on its self-driving car, which are necessary to detect pedestrians and other hazards.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey made the right call for his state, but drivers across the country can’t all rely on their own Doug Ducey to make the roads safe. The ultimate lesson here is that this technology is not ready for prime time.

The Future of Autonomous Vehicles

The terrible Uber crash, the public outcry, and the political fallout show that self-driving vehicles and, especially, self-driving trucks are a long ways off. If you look at a technological shift as big as the one from sailboats to steamships, the transition can take as long as 50 years.

That’s the distant future. The reality now is that truck drivers are needed. And anyone that looks to an autonomous future is putting the cart before the robotic horse. The technology is just not ready.

Please share our praise for Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on social media, and let us know your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter.

And of course, if you’re looking for a career that matters now, register on Class A Drivers, and we’ll help you #BecomeATruckDriver.