CITY HALL — Driverless cars should probably set their routes to circle around Chicago.
Two aldermen submitted a proposed ordinance at Wednesday's City Council meeting that would ban self-driving cars.
"We do not want the streets of Chicago to be used as an experiment that will no doubt come with its share of risks, especially for pedestrians," said Ald. Edward Burke (14th). "No technology is 100 percent safe."
"With the deployment of driverless cars now imminent across the nation, we should be cautious not to allow them in Chicago until we know beyond any doubt that they are safe," added Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), chairman of the Transportation Committee.
They co-sponsored the ordinance and cited the case of Joshua Brown, who died when his Tesla on autopilot collided with a semitrailer on a Florida highway in May.
A release they issued also said their proposal was meant as a "pre-emptive strike" against Uber, which has announced plans to launch a fleet of self-driving cars in Pittsburgh.
Violations would result in a $500 fine. The measure was assigned to the Finance Committee, which has Burke as its chairman.
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