Automated and Connected Vehicles

RELATED TOPICS: Design and Engineering Guidance, University Curriculum and Courses

While it may still be years before fully autonomous vehicles are widely available, new technologies are allowing private, public, and commercial vehicles to perform more driving tasks independently and send and receive information about their surroundings. Meanwhile, researchers are testing increasingly automated vehicles in both controlled and real-world environments. As communities examine the role of these connected and automated vehicles in serving their transportation needs, there are opportunities to simultaneously advance 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 need to be at the center of automated vehicle 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. The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) AV Working Group serves as a focal point for MPOs to engage with USDOT on connected and automated vehicle programs, policies, and issues. The links on this page showcase a variety of organizations and resources for policy tracking and decision-making.

Resources

Preparing for the Future of Transportation: Automated Vehicles 3.0
US Department of Transportation (USDOT)
Provides guidance for AVs and multimodal automation with strategies for integration and to address existing barriers to safety innovation.

Autonomous Vehicle Information Library
American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
Serves as a clearinghouse of information with resources from researchers, regulators, and the media.

Planning for Walking and Cycling in an Autonomous-Vehicle Future
Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Explores how connected and automated vehicles may affect pedestrian and bicyclist safety as well as local infrastructure and land use decisions.

Automated Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety: Exploring the Promise and Limits of Pedestrian Detection
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Analyzes 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.

PBIC Automated Vehicles University Course Module Series
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
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.

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Examples

Automated Vehicle Legislative Database
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
Tracks state-level enacted legislation related to automated vehicles.

Automated Vehicle TEST Initiative Tracking Tool
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Provides information about developing and testing ADS-equipped vehicles, and information from States regarding activity, legislation, regulations, local involvement in automation on our roadways.

Saving Lives with Connectivity: A Plan to Accelerate V2X Deployment
US Department of Transportation (USDOT)
Presents a plan to accelerate the deployment of vehicle-to-everything technology, enabling vehicles to communicate wirelessly with other road users and roadside infrastructure. 

Artificial Intelligence for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety: Using AI to Detect Near-Miss Collisions
Mineta Transportation Institute
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
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
Clarifies terms and definitions for personal delivery devices (PDDs), 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.

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