WHP580 Newsroom

WHP580 Newsroom

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PennDOT Collecting Public Comments Around Automated Trucks, Cars

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is seeking public feedback on its draft guidelines for the operation of highly automated and remotely-driven vehicles on state roads. The guidelines, which are open for public comment until August 22, cover safety measures and other requirements for companies looking to operate self-driving vehicles, such as tractor-trailers and robo-taxis, in Pennsylvania.

According to Derrick Herrmann, PennDOT's Chief of Transformational Technology, the guidelines could be finalized by late October, and certified companies could potentially have autonomous or remote-controlled vehicles on Pennsylvania roads by the end of the year. "What we're putting in place is the framework for companies to come to apply and do that," Herrmann told Pittsburgh's Action News 4.

The guidelines apply to both highly automated vehicles (HAVs) that still require a human driver on board to intervene if necessary, and remote-controlled vehicles, where the driver is not physically present in the vehicle but can intervene via technology. Herrmann explained, "An HAV driver in a remote location could be sitting at an office... directing a vehicle where to go, essentially."

PennDOT is particularly interested in public thoughts on safety and oversight. "Is there anything maybe we're missing that we should consider as a safety request from these companies? Are there things that folks think that PennDOT maybe should have oversight on that we're not necessarily asking for?" Herrmann said.


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