All those months when nothing came from the Federal Register about autonomous vehicles (AVs) are in the rear view mirror and a few weeks ago the outgoing US Department of Transportation (USDOT) leadership released a flurry of documents - and thereby opened comment periods - charting a course for a road to accessible AVs.
My small brain has been having a hard time keeping this all straight, so I am making the virtual effort of straightening out the piles, the dates, and the entities involved. To keep sane and smiling, enjoy the three panda cub videos sprinkled among the AV info.
Best in-a-nutshell AV resource
Before we get to all that good stuff that has popped up in the Federal Register, here is a big treat: Eric Dennis of the Center for Automotive Research has just updated his excellent table of AV state laws. Warning - Not all of the laws within each category are the same, so this is not a deep dive, but it is a fabulous snapshot and an excellent resource. Also note that sources of regulations for a given state might be a law or an executive order of a governor. Dennis also maintains maps of state laws. Follow him on Twitter @EricPaulDennis for notices of his updates.
A database of state AV legislation and laws is available from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Dennis also maintains his own resource.
You didn't have to - lots of AV comment opportunities
Really, Elaine (Chao), you did not have to feel the need to leave so many parting gifts and all with open comment periods. I am sure this work will be helpful to USDOT staff, and I mean that sincerely, but it is also a gift to all of us who care about expanding transportation access and equity because the Chao USDOT made clear where exactly we are and how much we can expect if we do not alter the current public-private transportation divide. Of course, the staff who will be tasked with reading, interpreting, classifying, and preparing a document in response to each document might not be so happy.
- Framework for Automated Driving System Safety - The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) seeks comments about various aspects of AV safety, testing, and standards development in terms of NHTSA's role. There are over 20 specific questions posed. The comment deadline has been extended to Apr. 1, 2021. This is an Advance Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM). I have several posts about comments submitted, though, as of today the number is well north of 613 and I am just at the beginning of reading all of those. 😟 Now well over 500 behind. 🤔 Maybe time to clone myself.
- Request for Information: Inclusive Design Reference Hub - The Office of the Secretary (OST) at the USDOT issued this request for information (RFI), which seeks ideas for collating inclusive design research with the goal to "establish a library of resources for accessibility in automation, and work with outside experts to study voluntary best practices for ensuring accessibility in automated vehicles." An RFI is not a commitment; it's a much less formal counterpart to a request for proposals. The comment period ends Feb. 19, 2021. The original comment period, which ended on Jan. 20, 2021, was officially extended. Thus far, there are seven comments and these are summarized in previous posts.*
- Draft Strategic Plan on Accessible Transportation - The USDOT is seeking comments on its draft plan, which aims toward "mak[ing] America's transportation system accessible to all travelers." That is a tall order and I am just beginning to read this document. (Nothing thus far about requirements or legislation that mandate production of accessible vehicles.) Comments are due on or before Feb. 16, 2021. Six comments submitted so far.
- See safety and cybersecurity section below for one more open comment period.
* Please note that as of the publication date that the USDOT website is not making available an OST page.
Events
Inclusive Design of Autonomous Vehicles - Mar. 10 - Apr. 21, 2021, every two weeks. Hosted by the US Access Board.
A four-part series of public forums to discuss different aspects of accessibility and the transportation needs posed by particular groups of disabilities. Links to the forum are not posted yet.
African American Conference on Disabilities - Sessions throughout February 2021. Hosted by the Arizona Center for Disability Law and the Arizona Center for African American Resources.
This is an event with speakers from across the US. There are no transportation panels; the conference focuses on housing, accommodations, education and the effects of the pandemic.
Plea to AV report writers: Take a vacation
To make it worse, on top of trying to keep abreast of AV work at the USDOT, I am also trying to keep track of and read all of the excellent AV reports that have been issued recently. There's a list below. I have to admit a certain personal conundrum of figuring out what exactly I want to read and focus on these days. I am supposed to be starting a podcast and a book, but, instead, I am treading through virtual piles of AV reading just to remain up to date. 🏊 (That's a swimmer emoji, in case it's not obvious. No frantic, treading water emojis were available.)
- Inspiring Autonomy: How Auto Insurers Will Lead Through Changing Risks - This is an updated 2018 report from Travelers Insurance about AV developments, how the auto insurance industry should continue as AVs roll out, and the best strategy for quickly compensating crash victims.
- Autonomous Vehicles and the Future of Auto Insurance - This is a report from RAND Corporation, which has done excellent research and reports on AVs. It explores different AV ownership and insurance regulation possibilities, with recommendations to investigate international models and public-private collaboration.
- Low-Speed Automated Vehicles (LSAVs) in Public Transportation - This report is from the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) (within the Transportation Research Board (TRB)). It provides an overview of slow-speed AV shuttles, where they have been used, and factors that contribute to success. This is a practical report, with checklists for procurement, evaluation, and monitoring, among others. There are also a few detailed case studies provided.
- Automated Vehicle and Shared Mobility Forum (AVSM Forum) - This TRB website hosts a library of brief reports of research summaries and discussion workshops with invited speakers and forum members, an A-list of AV and shared-use mobility thinkers (with professionals from state, local, and federal agencies, the private and non-profit sectors, and academia). The issues covered are wide ranging, but often in the form of articulating research needs and concerns around data, equity, and accessibility, among others.
Goodies for safety and cybersecurity experts
- Cybersecurity Best Practices for the Safety of Modern Vehicles - This is NHTSA's draft update of its 2016 (Obama administration) cybersecurity document. Comments are due on or before Mar. 15, 2021.
- Notice Regarding the Applicability of NHTSA FMVSS Test Procedures to Certifying Manufacturers - The comment period is closed. This document essentially reverses (using judicial terminology) the 2016 statement of the Obama-era USDOT that required AV compliance with the NHTSA-issued federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS). This document basically declares that FMVSS are not themselves performance standards. I am not a safety engineer, so I will offer a quote here. "While the manufacturer of a motor vehicle must produce vehicles that comply with all applicable FMVSS and must exercise reasonable care in certifying compliance, the Safety Act does not require that a manufacturer ensure that NHTSA can validate the manufacturer's certification through the FMVSS test conditions and procedures when it certifies the vehicle." This document has nothing directly to do with accessibility. There were 12 comments submitted and it will be interesting to read these as major organizations and businesses are among those who responded to the notice.
- Safe Enough: Approaches to Assessing Acceptable Safety for Automated Vehicles - This RAND report is a dive into different ways to measure safety.
Request to Congress: Please concentrate on other topics until I am up to date, maybe in four months, before you all circle back to AVs. Thank you.
Since I am not on the top of anyone's list for that magical vaccine, I can stay home and read official documents and comments.
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