Aug 30 (Reuters) - The California Department of Motor

Vehicles on Friday issued draft regulations on the operation of

autonomous vehicles on highways, paving the way for self-driving

trucks to commence long-haul deliveries.

The state agency is planning a framework which would

initially require safety drivers for both light- and heavy-duty

operations.

The DMV is accepting written feedback on the language of the

draft until Oct. 14.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The draft regulations come at a time when autonomous driving

technology faces heightened levels of scrutiny from safety

regulators over multiple cases of crashes and accidents

involving the technology.

If approved, the regulations could be a huge win for

autonomous trucking startups which are betting on the technology

to grow and advance and would also threaten trucking jobs.

CONTEXT

Self-driving cars from the likes of Alphabet's

Waymo and General Motors' Cruise have had run ins with

regulators over incidents involving their autonomous vehicles.

A Waymo car had struck a cyclist at a city intersection

earlier this year, while a Cruise vehicle was involved in a

serious accident last year in San Francisco which led to the

company removing nearly a thousand cars from roads.

Autonomous trucks have been seeing some success with

deploying big rigs along pre-planned routes to deliver goods.

Firms like Waabi operate autonomous trucks with safety drivers

on planned commercial lanes, hauling freight cargo for Uber ( UBER )

between Dallas and Houston in Texas.

THE RESPONSE

Reactions to the draft regulations have been mixed. The

Teamsters union condemned the rules, saying they threaten jobs

and public safety.

"The regulations are an insult to California workers who

already fear losing their jobs to automation," Teamsters General

President Sean O'Brien said.

The Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association on the other

hand welcomed the draft order, saying it is "an important step

for the future of roadway safety and supply chain resiliency in

California."

The draft comes a day after two autonomous vehicle safety

bills were passed by the California Assembly. The bills require

human operators in driver-less trucks, and mandate autonomous

vehicle manufacturers to report any vehicle collisions, traffic

violations among others.

California Governor Gavin Newsom will have to sign the bills

in order for them to become law.