SOUTH SHORE (WBBM Newsradio) -- An influential state lawmaker from Chicago described his drive to legalize "self-driving" cars in Illinois as a bid to make sure the state is not left on the shoulder as technology passes by.
State House Democrat Kam Buckner has introduced a bill that could eventually clear the road for autonomous vehicles on Illinois roads, including self-driving cabs operated by Waymo, Tesla and others.
Before a town hall meeting Wednesday with state House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch at the Quarry Event Center, 2423 E. 75th St., Rep. Buckner told reporters that his bill would let Cook County and two other areas in the state set up a three-year pilot program to test how and whether driverless cabs work safely here.
"This is really allowing these people to do a test run to see if it's right for Illinois," said Rep. Buckner, who's also the president pro tem of the Illinois House. "A lot of states have not been ready and they've been caught flat-footed. What I don't want Illinois to do is to not have any idea what the future looks like."
He described his first ride in a driverless cab as "something different."
"I had never experienced anything like that, said Rep. Buckner (D-26th District). "It was one heck of an opportunity."
Waymo says it supports the bill, but a spokesman for the state's trial lawyers association cites past safety incidents with Waymo self-driving taxis in suggesting the state pump the brakes.