The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) recently released a report highlighting strategies on how to deliver safety messages to the public and prepare the criminal justice system for when automated vehicles (AVs) become common.
The report is based on a May 8 GHSA/State Farm interdisciplinary expert panel meeting.
The panel agreed that the highway safety community must focus on operator behavior, attitudes, and culture.
“Surveys show that many drivers do not understand or trust AVs, or appreciate their own operator responsibilities, likely due to the many mixed, confusing, or inaccurate messages about these features,” GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins said. “We need to win the public’s trust and prepare them for safe use so that the lifesaving potential of this technology is not delayed.”
According to the report, AV developers, State Highway Safety Offices, and law enforcement must maintain a focus on ongoing traffic safety challenges, develop and deploy a uniform policy and training for police, first responders and court officials regarding AV crashes, and develop and deploy consistent, honest safety messages to the public about all forms of automation.
GHSA will present the report Aug. 26 at its 2019 Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
GHSA also has joined the Partners for Automated Vehicle Education coalition.