NM Lawmakers Hear Truck Crash Safety Presentation, Not Just AV Issues
New Mexico's Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee heard a presentation titled "Public Safety for Driverless Vehicles – The Impacts of Semi-Truck Collisions," according to the handout posted on the legislature's website. The presenter was Andy Young, managing partner at The Law Firm for Truck Safety, a plaintiffs' attorney who represents truck crash victims and sits on FMCSA's Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee.
Despite the title, the slides focus mostly on general semi-truck crash dynamics rather than autonomous-vehicle technology specifically. Young's materials contrast "Vision Zero" safety goals with what he calls "edge cases," and illustrate vehicle-to-vehicle crash incompatibility, where mismatched bumper heights worsen outcomes. One example describes a truck driver running a red light; automatic emergency braking cut the truck's speed to 35 mph before a fatal impact. Another example shows a semi-truck moving at 8 mph causing a fatality in a collision with a car traveling near 22 mph.
The handout does not describe any bill, rule or formal subcommittee recommendation. It is a single presentation to lawmakers, not a legislative action.
What's next
- Watch for any bill introductions tied to this subcommittee's work.
- No effective dates, deadlines or votes are stated in the document.
All sources
- NM Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee “Public Safety for Driverless Vehicles – The Impacts of Semi-Truck Collisions” — Government site: New Mexico Legislature (.gov), 2026-11-08
