Smart City Consultant’s Post

NEWS BRIEF: Cruise, GM's autonomous unit, recalls all 950 self-driving cars after an incident in San Francisco. New software updates aim to prevent similar accidents. Following a suspension of operations, Cruise is enhancing safety measures, including appointing a chief safety officer. Federal regulators are investigating, potentially impacting the future of autonomous vehicles. #CruiseRecall #SafetyUpdate #AutonomousVehicles #FollowNewLight https://buff.ly/4bTYBUG

If you thought US roads were dangerous, you haven’t seen anything yet: “By default, driverless passenger vehicles and trucks can ride anywhere in the United States, unless a state explicitly says they can’t. That means companies can test and operate their vehicles across most of the country. Two dozen states, including Texas, Florida, Arizona and Nevada, specifically allow driverless operations, according to data compiled by Aurora, while another 16 states have no regulations specific to autonomous vehicles. The remaining 10 — including California, Massachusetts and New York — place limits on autonomous vehicles within their borders.” Given the primitive, unreliable state of #AI and #selfdriving #tech, the only beneficiaries of this will be #triallawyers and funeral homes. https://lnkd.in/eHBnbYvr

The UK's recent enactment of the Automated Vehicles Act is set to revolutionize transportation by introducing fully autonomous vehicles by 2026. This landmark legislation, which transfers accident liability from drivers to manufacturers and insurers, promises enhanced road safety. https://lnkd.in/gHESupT9

Companies offering driver-assistance systems and developing autonomous vehicles are facing heightened scrutiny. The top U.S. auto safety regulator is investigating four prominent industry players in quick succession. #AutoSafety #DriverAssistance #AutonomousVehicles #atssa #roadsafety #highwaysafety #usdot

Thatcham Research clarifies new EU vehicle safety regulation for UK drivers. The European Union’s New Vehicle General Safety Regulation, also known as GSR2 or Regulation (EU) 2019/2144, comes into effect across Europe on Sunday, 7 July 2024. It amends the minimum performance standards for motor vehicles in the EU, adding new required advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). These include Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning (DDAW), and Emergency Lane Keeping Systems (ELKS). Click here to read the full Thatcham Research explanation: https://lnkd.in/ejnMpKQN #roadsafety #gsr2 #collisionrepair #bodyshopmag #vehiclesafety #adas #autonomousvehicles

🚛 California Moves Closer to Driverless Trucking! 🚚 Big news in the world of autonomous vehicles! California has just unveiled a plan to test and eventually permit driverless commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) on its roadways. Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s happening: 📄 New Draft Regulatory Framework: - Permits Autonomous CMVs on roads with speed limits of 50 mph or more, including hub-to-hub routes and frontage access roads. - Excludes certain operations for safety reasons, like household movers, vehicles carrying passengers, oversize loads, hazardous materials, and bulk liquids needing a tank endorsement. 🛣️ Why This Matters: This move could revolutionize long-haul deliveries in California, paving the way for a new era in trucking. The state will gather input on this plan before finalizing the rules, so stay tuned for more updates! 🚗 A Step Ahead: Driverless passenger cars have been navigating California since 2014, and now it’s time for the big rigs to join the future! What do you think about driverless trucks? Let us know in the comments! 👇 #AutonomousTrucks #DriverlessVehicles #CaliforniaTrucking #FutureOfTransportation #Logistics #SupplyChainInnovation #TruckingLife #CMVs

WASHINGTON /May 24 /Reuters /David Shepardson -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday it has learned of nine additional incidents that raise concerns about the performance of Alphabet's #Waymo (GOOGL.O), opens new tab self-driving vehicles. Earlier this month, the U.S. #auto safety regulator opened an investigation after 22 reports of its robotaxis exhibiting driving behavior that potentially violated traffic safety laws, or demonstrating other "unexpected behavior," including 17 collisions. In a letter to Waymo released Friday, #NHTSA said it has learned of 9 additional similar incidents. The agency said several incidents under investigation "involved collisions with clearly visible objects that a competent driver would be expected to avoid." NHTSA said "reports include collisions with stationary and semi-stationary objects such as gates and chains, collisions with parked vehicles, and instances in which the (automated driving system) appeared to disobey traffic safety control devices or rules." The agency asked Waymo to answer a series of questions by June 11 about the incidents and provide video for all of the incidents. Waymo, which did not immediately comment Friday, earlier this month did not address specific safety incidents cited by NHTSA but said it was "proud of our performance and safety record over tens of millions of autonomous miles driven." NHTSA said it is concerned that Waymo self-driving vehicles "exhibiting such unexpected driving behaviors may increase the risk of crash, property damage, and injury" and added that a number of incidents occurred "in the proximity of other road users, including pedestrians." The investigation is the first stage before the agency could demand a recall if it believes the vehicles pose an unreasonable risk to safety. This is the latest in a series of investigations opened by NHTSA into the performance of self-driving vehicles after it initiated probes into General Motors Cruise (GM.N), opens new tab and Amazon.com's Zoox < AMZN.O>. In February, Waymo recalled 444 self-driving vehicles after two minor collisions in quick succession in Arizona, saying a software error could result in automated vehicles inaccurately predicting the movement of a towed vehicle. Image Source | (©tom2004cat | pixabay)

New laws are being considered for driverless cars. in the consultation paper the responsibility for the "safe operation" of the autonomous car – throughout its life – would be placed on another organisation "in the best position to do so", which could be the manufacturer of the vehicle. "If we do not change our laws to assign responsibility for safe operation of ADS [autonomous driving systems], human users of automated vehicles could be unfairly held liable for any crashes when the ADS was in control," the Government paper says. Why didn't this happen with cladding, damage caused by Li-ion batteries and leaky buildings? 3/10 for consistency.

About a year ago, an autonomous (or self-driving) vehicle was involved in a pedestrian crash where the vehicle dragged an individual for 20 feet before coming to a stop. The problem came from the vehicle manufacturer Cruise's failure to provide a complete report following the crash, resulting in Cruise losing its license in the state of California and suspending and recalling its self-driving vehicles. A year later, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA has announced its consent order with Cruise which includes, among other things, crash report requirements, a corrective action plan and a $1.5 million penalty. Self-driving vehicles may be exciting and have meaningful applications that could have the potential to improve lives, but they can't do that unless they are able to operate in a way that is reliable and safe for passengers and fellow travelers. What do you think about the order? What would it take for you to feel safe riding in or sharing your roads with autonomous vehicles? Check out the announcement: https://lnkd.in/gQd4jhjz #selfdriving #autonomousvehicles #personalinjurylaw #carcrash #compliance #safety