Autonomous Vehicles Meet Human Drivers: Traffic Safety Issues for States
Fully autonomous vehicles – cars and trucks that can drive themselves, without a human at the controls – are coming soon. But all vehicles on the road will not be autonomous for a very long time, perhaps never. Until then, autonomous vehicles must share the road with vehicles driven by humans. How can this be done safely? States are responsible for safety on the roads – for licensing drivers, registering vehicles, and establishing and enforcing traffic laws. So States must take the lead in dealing with the many traffic safety issues that a mix of driver-operated and autonomous vehicles will bring. This report should help States understand and address these issues. It’s written for state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs), and State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs). It begins with background information: a description of the various levels of autonomous vehicles, a summary of what’s on the road now and what’s coming soon, results from surveys of public knowledge and attitudes regarding autonomous vehicles, and projections of autonomous vehicle sales and use. Next, it describes the key topics that States must address to manage traffic safety in a world with both driver-operated and autonomous vehicles. The report then summarizes what some States already have done to address autonomous vehicles. Finally, the report suggests what all States can and should do to prepare for autonomous vehicles and to assure that traffic safety is at the forefront of all autonomous vehicle discussions.
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Corporate Authors:
Governors Highway Safety Association
Washington, DC United States -
Authors:
- Hedlund, James
- Publication Date: 2017
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Edition: Final Report
- Features: Appendices; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 26p
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Attitudes; Drivers; Forecasting; Intelligent vehicles; States; Surveys; Traffic safety; Transportation planning
- Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01626565
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Feb 27 2017 9:25AM