The Frisco Police Department is teaming up with Aurora Innovation on March 11 and 12 for further testing of autonomous vehicles along I-45 near Ennis.
In contrast to past collaborations with Aurora, this interactive session won't feature one of their self-driving vehicles operating autonomously. Rather, an Aurora staff member will manually steer the truck, providing a genuine encounter for the officers. Tailored for motorcycle officers, this exercise will include simulated traffic stops, allowing the police to acclimate to potential situations in an era where autonomous vehicles could become commonplace.
“The Frisco Police Department is committed to ensuring the safety of new, innovative technologies, including autonomous trucks, and appreciates Auroras’s open and transparent partnership,” Frisco Police Traffic Unit-Commertial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Officer T. Mrozinski said in a statement. “We look forward to continued communication and cooperation with Aurora as they progress toward driverless operations in the coming year.”
The department participated in similar testing in December 2023 with Aurora at the same location. During the testing, Frisco police officers conducted mock traffic stops and pullovers on a manually driven Aurora Innovation Class 8 truck.
As Local Profile previously reported, some North Texas cities are preparing for driverless vehicles. Dallas will soon welcome Cruise, a California-based company, with its driverless rideshare initiative. Anticipated to debut in North Texas in 2024, Cruise has garnered substantial support, boasting investments totaling $10 billion from key players like GM, Honda, Microsoft, T. Rowe Price and Walmart.
With nearly 400 self-driving vehicles already operational in Austin, San Francisco and Phoenix, Cruise aims to finalize its service hours in Dallas. Emphasizing regions bustling with pedestrian activity and lively nightlife, Cruise mirrors its approach in San Francisco, where it provides round-the-clock ride services.
Constant surveillance and dedicated customer service will be in place around the clock to promptly address any concerns pertaining to each vehicle. But additional concerns have already come up following multiple accidents in some cities.
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