Action
Notice; request for information (RFI).
Summary
Improving the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users (VRUs) is of critical importance to achieving the objectives of DOT's National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), and DOT's vision of zero fatalities and serious injuries across our transportation system. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2020 there were 10,626 traffic fatalities in the United States at roadway intersections, including 1,674 pedestrian and 355 bicyclist fatalities. These fatalities at intersections represent 27% of the total of 38,824 road traffic deaths recorded in 2020. Separately, considerable development efforts have been made into automation technologies over the past two decades, including in the areas of vehicle automation, machine vision, perception and sensing, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, sensor fusion, image and data analysis, artificial intelligence (AI), path planning, and real-time decision-making. DOT is interested in receiving comments on the possibility of adapting existing and emerging automation technologies to accelerate the development of real-time roadway intersection safety and warning systems for both drivers and VRUs in a cost-effective manner that will facilitate deployment at scale.