Impacts of Connected Vehicles and Automated Vehicles on State and Local Transportation Agencies--Task-Order Support. A Guide to Enhancing the Safety of Vulnerable Road Users in a CAV Future

Every year more than one-third of the estimated 35,000 to 40,000 traffic fatalities occur “outside the vehicle,” which includes pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and micromobility users. A compelling argument for a connected or autonomous vehicle (CAV) future is the promise of a reduction of these “outside the vehicle” fatalities and injuries. However, as exemplified by a 2018 fatal pedestrian crash involving a self-driving sports utility vehicle, self-driving cars are currently not infallible; CAVs can misidentify or entirely miss humans or objects on roads and make wrong decisions on whether to stop or keep driving in response. Research is needed to assist state departments of transportation (DOTs) and local agencies in enhancing the safety of vulnerable road users (VRUs) sharing the road with CAVs by implementing existing and near-term on-vehicle and on-street technologies.  The objective of this research is to develop a guide to assist state DOTs and local agencies with the implementation of existing and near-term on-vehicle and on-street technologies designed to enhance the safety of VRUs sharing the road with CAVs. Technologies may include, but not be limited to: (1) Detection technologies (e.g., LIDAR and machine vision); (2) Communication methods (e.g., methods that enhance awareness of and provide information to VRUs; methods that replicate current human-to-human communication on the road; auditory or visual cues originating from the vehicle; etc.); (3) Education aimed at VRUs to help them understand and more safely interact with CAVs; and (4) Infrastructure technologies (e.g., enhanced traffic signal or other roadside device technologies).

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5050
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $150000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 20-102(33)

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Dekelbab, Waseem

• Start Date: 20230313
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Autonomous vehicles; Benefit cost analysis; Connected vehicles; Feasibility analysis; Infrastructure; Pedestrian detectors; Pedestrian safety; Recommendations; Technological innovations; Vulnerable road users
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01754906
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 20-102(33)
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Oct 19 2020 3:39PM