Automated and Connected Vehicles
RELATED TOPICS: Equity, Design and Engineering Guidance, University Curriculum and Courses
Although fully autonomous vehicles may still be years away from widespread availability, emerging technologies are enabling private, public, and commercial vehicles to take on more driving tasks independently and communicate with their surroundings. Meanwhile, researchers are testing increasingly automated vehicles in both controlled and real-world environments. As communities consider how connected and automated vehicles can support their transportation needs, they have opportunities to also promote pedestrian and bicycle safety and mobility. The PBIC Discussion Guide for Automated and Connected Vehicles, Pedestrians, and Bicyclists presents ten key challenge areas (and implications for policy and research) that may be helpful for discussions across all sectors and stakeholders, along with a glossary of important terms and key references. Many states have established AV committees or working groups and may need representation on pedestrian or bicycle topics.
Resources
Autonomous Vehicle Information Library serves as a clearinghouse of information with resources from researchers, regulators, and the media.
Planning for Walking and Cycling in an Autonomous-Vehicle Future explores how connected and automated vehicles may affect pedestrian and bicyclist safety as well as local infrastructure and land use decisions, according to U.S. experts from academia, public, and private sectors.
Automated Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety: Exploring the Promise and Limits of Pedestrian Detection analyzes nearly 5,000 pedestrian fatalities and virtually reconstructs scenarios to model how sensor technology, like the kind currently being tested on automated vehicles, would or would not have changed the outcomes. The research identifies sensor costs and real world operating conditions as barriers to these potentially life-saving technologies in the near term.
PBIC Automated Vehicles University Course Module Series provides a foundation and orientation for students and practitioners to learn more and join the conversation about the advancement of AVs and the safety and mobility for all road users.
Considerations for Deploying Automated Driving Systems Around Schools summarizes the challenges of automated driving systems (ADS) around K-12 schools and provides ten recommendations for ADS developers and local stakeholders to consider prior to broad deployment of automated vehicles around schools.
More Resources >
Examples
AV Legislative Database tracks state-level enacted legislation related to automated vehicles.
NHTSA's AV TEST Initiative Tracking Tool shows real-time information about automated vehicle testing on public roads, including testing location, vehicle type, and operator information.
Artificial Intelligence for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety: Using AI to Detect Near-Miss Collisions describes a system that uses AI models and computer vision to detect near-miss collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists.
Sharing Spaces with Robots: The Basics of Personal Delivery Devices clarifies terms and definitions for personal delivery devices, describes their physical and operational characteristics, and provides an overview of key policy and research areas affecting their deployment with an emphasis on pedestrians and bicyclists.
