Take action to require autonomous vehicles to see bicyclists and pedestrians

On March 19, an autonomous vehicle hit and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, AZ, as she was walking her bicycle across the street. While we don’t know the details of this particular crash, the League is concerned that automated vehicles need more testing to first prove their ability to recognize and respond to people biking and walking in our streets. 

Regardless of the details of this crash, recent articles in IEEE Spectrum and in Slate magazine report that detecting bicyclists is one most difficult problems Automated Driving Systems (ADS) technology faces, and testing for bicyclists lags behind other ADS technology tests. 

When human drivers apply for a driver’s license we have to pass a vision test. The League believes that all automated driving systems should first have to pass a “vision test” as well — requiring a safety performance standard determined and regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association— proving their ability to recognize and respond to people bicycling and walking, before they are on community streets.

Right now the Senate is considering S. 1885: AV START Act to set guidelines for automated vehicle manufacturers to test their vehicles on our streets. Please join the League in asking Senators to require AVs to pass a vision test.

The League is reassured that the National Transportation Safety Board will now investigate the crash. We will review their independent report on the causes for the crash and will use that data to advocate for the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians. Until then, we are advocating for safety performance standards for vehicles before they are on our streets. The League believes automated technology holds the potential to reduce incidents of distracted and impaired driving, but the technology must first prove its ability to meet safety standards. We look forward to working with automated vehicle manufacturers to ensure the advantages of these new technologies benefit all users of our transportation system.

Please contact your Senators to ask them to require automated vehicles to pass a vision test, and to prove they can detect and respond to all users of our roadways, including bicyclists and pedestrians.

You can use this link to our action campaign or the form below.

Dear Senator,

As the Senate debates S. 1885: AV Start Act, we ask that you set safety performance standards on automated driving systems that require vehicles have an ability to recognize and respond to pedestrians and bicyclists. When human drivers apply for a driver’s license we have to pass a vision test. The League believes that all automated driving systems should first have to pass a “vision test” as well — requiring a safety performance standard — proving their ability to recognize and respond to people bicycling and walking, before they are on community streets.

Recent articles in IEEE Spectrum and in Slate magazine report that detecting bicyclists is one most difficult problems Automated Driving Systems (ADS) technology faces and that testing for bicyclists lags behind other ADS technology tests. This tragedy in Tempe this week shows that not all manufacturers’ technology is ready to be tested in communities. Automated technology holds the potential to reduce incidents of distracted and impaired driving. However, manufacturers must first prove its ability to meet safety standards so that our streets are safe for all users.

Please require that S. 1885: AV Start Act include safety performance standards that require vehicles have an ability to recognize and respond to bicyclists and pedestrians.