It’s three weeks until Election Day – the end of TV and radio political campaign ads is almost upon us! With 21 days to go, I wanted to give a snapshot as to where the elections seem to be heading as of today. Caveat – three weeks for a political campaign equals a lifetime.

ATSSA participated in the Task Force 13 (TF13) 2018 Fall Meeting, where one key initiative—to form a nonprofit entity to conduct business and interact with other roadway safety organizations—was addressed.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a memorandum to provide guidance to the Federal-aid Divisions regarding the Alternative Fuel Corridors that have been designated by the FHWA.

Manufacturers, technology providers, and national and regional governments have invested billions of dollars in connected and autonomous vehicle research, pilots and demonstrations. Underlying the potential success for these important life-saving technologies is the need for communications infrastructure and interoperability. The questions invariably remain: what communications technology best serves the most? Who will build the infrastructure on which it will operate? Who will pay for it? Building that infrastructure will, in large measure, be the responsibility of the private sector pursuing communications business opportunities.

The document below is ATSSA’s response to FHWA’s request for information (RFI) concerning “Automated Driving Systems.” There were 10 questions posed by FHWA regarding infrastructure needs for advanced driving systems. ATSSA’s response focuses on pertinent safety issues, and the important issues surrounding machine vision and infrastructure.

The document below is ATSSA’s response to FHWA’s request for information (RFI) concerning “Automated Driving Systems.” There were 10 questions posed by FHWA regarding infrastructure needs for advanced driving systems. ATSSA’s response focuses on pertinent safety issues, and the important issues surrounding machine vision and infrastructure.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requested comments on “Removing regulatory barriers for vehicles with automated driving systems”. This request for comment (RFC) focused on the interior design of automated vehicles including the driver seating position. The document below outlines ATSSA’s response to the RFC, and highlights the lead time needed for a human to regain control of the vehicle, and stressed the importance this has on the safety of our roadway workers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requested comments on “Removing regulatory barriers for vehicles with automated driving systems”. This request for comment (RFC) focused on the interior design of automated vehicles including the driver seating position. The document below outlines ATSSA’s response to the RFC, and highlights the lead time needed for a human to regain control of the vehicle, and stressed the importance this has on the safety of our roadway workers.

Automated vehicles potentially promise transformative benefits in safety, mobility, and other areas. However, the successful development of these vehicles and technologies may pose a range of challenges for policymakers to confront. DOT is the lead federal agency for vehicle safety and road infrastructure.

The world is facing an unprecedented emergence of automation technologies. In the transportation sector, where 9 out of 10 serious roadway crashes occur due to human behavior, automated vehicle technologies possess the potential to save thousands of lives, as well as reduce congestion, enhance mobility, and improve productivity. The Federal Government wants to ensure it does not impede progress with unnecessary or unintended barriers to innovation. Safety remains the number one priority for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and is the specific focus of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This document expands the scope of autonomous driving to provide a framework and multimodal approach to the safe integration of AVs into the Nation’s broader surface transportation system.