Can AVs ride the storm out?
Regarding the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles, many uncertainties remain.
Failing to yield to school buses and an illegal U-turn near a DUI checkpoint are among the recent concerning incidents involving autonomous vehicles.
Neither of these instances involved winter and extreme weather conditions, which brings another layer to the safety conversation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded North Dakota State University more than $1.2 million through its commercial motor vehicle grant program to research and test autonomous vehicles in winter conditions.
This project will focus on two-lane rural highways in North Dakota and the challenges of operating and maintaining autonomous trucks in extreme weather conditions.
The effects of extreme cold on sensors and autonomous driving systems, implications of extreme winter conditions for safety inspections and operational conditions for autonomous trucks in relation to operational design elements will be examined.
Recommendations for a safety plan and a structure for safety testing and operations in winter are expected outcomes of this research.
The project also proposes a conference discussing autonomous truck development in North Dakota and the surrounding region.
A searchable database of agencies working with universities will be built to organize a safety summit to present projects to state agencies, universities and other stakeholders.
Technical resources and updates will be provided to entities engaged in similar partnerships going forward.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol said the potential for fatal and injury crashes will be reduced by 15% through a federal grant that will fund a second performance-based brake-testing machine and remove unsafe commercial motor vehicles from state roadways.
CMV grant program
Educational institutions accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education will be considered for funding.
Applicants from non-accredited institutions will be considered if:
- Approved by the U.S. Department of Labor as an eligible training provider
- Accepts Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act grants
- Approved by the state approving agencies and the U.S. Veterans Administration to accept benefits
All applicants must comply with the entry-level driver training regulations and be listed on the FMCSA’s training provider registry. LL