Lisa Spellman, director of the SAE ITC VRU Safety Consortium, will be keynoting at the Driving Vision News (DVN) June 2024 Detroit Workshop on global cross-industry, cross-sector research underway at SAE Indstury Technologies Consortia on Lighting and Visual Cues for Vulnerable Road User Safety, discussing lighting and detection safety considerations for those outside of a moving vehicle.  To learn more visit: https://www.drivingvisionnews.com/boutique/workshops/dvn-detroit-workshop-june-11th-12th-2024/

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Advanced Research Projects Agency—Infrastructure (ARPA-I) is seeking input from on the potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in transportation, as well as emerging challenges and opportunities in creating and deploying AI technologies in applications across all modes of transportation.

According to the posting, the purpose of the RFI is to “…obtain input from a broad array of stakeholders on AI opportunities, challenges and related issues in transportation pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14110 of October 30, 2023, entitled “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence”.

Response deadline:  July 2, 2024

To learn more or to comment, visit:  https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOT-OST-2024-0049-0001

 

Widespread consistent safety for all shared road users requires broad collaboration and commitment from across the transport sector.   There are many ways to achieve safer and effective outcomes that are good not only for those transiting outside of moving vehicles but also for business supply chains.

At a recent meeting of the International Transport Forum (ITF) ministers from 60+ nations from across the globe formally called for the creation of a new assessment framework to boost road safety practices throughout corporate value chains.  Government and regulators can push and even require safe practices, but the best outcomes occur when the practices and values are embedded into the ways that organizations conduct their daily activities. 

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted: “Transport impacts the health of people and the planet … When transport is accessible, safe and affordable, many more people will choose to take the greener option of public transport, walking or cycling. This is why we need more cooperation between the health and transport sectors, and this is why I’m delighted that WHO is partnering with the International Transport Forum to advance safe, healthy and sustainable mobility for everyone.”

To learn more, visit: https://www.who.int/news/item/27-05-2024-global-transport-ministers-call-for-new-road-safety-assessment-framework-for-business

 

VRUSC Director Lisa Spellman will be speaking at the League of American Bicyclists on the topic: “Setting a Course to Safer Vehicles”

Register Today!

 

Are you a small business that loves data and develops great decision-support tools? Then click below to learn more about the Complete Streets AI Initiative, a $15 million multi-phase effort funding small businesses to develop powerful new decision-support tool(s) for state, local and tribal transportation agencies that assists in the siting, design, and deployment of Complete Streets.

 

Where does mobility move forward?  At the SAE International® WCX World Congress in Detroit 16 – 18 April 2024! Choose from 200+ technical sessions and over 1,200 presentations covering the entire vehicle from technology, regulatory standards, and safety.  Come meet staff from SAE Industry Technologies Consortia (SAE ITC) and collaboration programs, including the VRUSC!

Visit https://wcx.sae.org/

 

The increasing weight of vehicles is causing unexpected outcomes, from guardrails not designed for today’s increasingly heavy EVs to collapsing parking ramps. Links to learn more.

 

Meeting: The National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board (TRB) meeting 2024 Dates: January 7-11, 2024

For more information: https://www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting/AnnualMeeting.aspx

Meeting: SAE Government and Industry (GIM) 2024 Dates: January 16-18, 2024

For more information: https://www.sae.org/attend/government-industry/

Highlight: The VRUSC will be rolling out a new white paper in a presentation at GIM24. Register today and come learn about the expansive breadth of SAE and SAE ITC global programs and attend our presentation – details below

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Session Title: Lighting and Visual Information for Vulnerable Road User Safety

Session Date: Thursday January 18, 10:15 – 12:15pmET

Overview:

The rate of injuries and deaths for shared road users continues to increase.  Despite improvements in interior vehicle safety, those outside of a vehicle continue to be at risk.  The VRU Safety Consortium, a global cross-sector collaboration including vehicle and micromobility OEMs, suppliers and more is investigating lighting and visual information for VRUs which includes its application for cyclists, road safety and emergency workers.  Illumination for providing visibility to VRUs during nighttime transportation, such as the headlight on a bicycle, may also serve as an indicator of a VRU’s presence. Some lighting/visual information systems are more or less static (e.g., steady-burning lights or reflective panels) while others use dynamic visual cues (e.g., flashing or animation) to capture attention and possibly indicate a VRU’s near-term intentions to turn, slow down or enter vehicle traffic.  In collaboration with the VRUSC, the Mt. Sinai Light and Health Research Center (LHRC) has developed a synthesis of research and case studies describing the appropriate characteristics of lighting, signaling and other forms of visual information on the VRU (bike, scooter) or on the VRU (wearable) that address the desired safety-related impacts on both human drivers and autonomous camera-based driver assistance systems.

The presentation will also discuss how this information might be integrated into existing or proposed standards and recommended practices to maximize safety benefits.

Speakers:

John D. Bullough, Program Director, Light and Health Research Center, Population Health Science and Policy at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Lisa Spellman, Director VRU Safety Consortium

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Velo-city 2024, the annual world cycling summit, has issued a Call for Abstracts for their 2024 event scheduled for 18-21 June 2024 in the lovely city of Ghent, Belgium.
Primary Theme:  Connecting through Cycling 
Sub-themes:

• Connecting people and communities
• Connecting regions, cities and neighbourhoods
• Connecting cycling with other modes
• Connecting industries and sectors

Velo-city offers a nice diverse range of program formats, so don’t miss your chance! 

 

The VRUSC is seeking a limited number of partners to collaborate on an important pre-competitive global project to improve vehicle detection of cyclists and scooter users.

Project Use Case Overview: VRU (cyclist) is able to issue a standards-based signal (PSM - see below) that a vehicle can reliably and accurately detect in time for a warning to be issued and for one or both (cyclist and motorist) to take appropriate countermeasures to avoid a collision.

Standards focus: J2945/9 Personal Safety Message (PSM) and SAE 2945/1, Basic Safety Message (BSM).
The VRUSC is a collaborative, member-led global consortium comprised of members and stakeholders drawn from cross-sections of the global transportation ecosystem, including vehicle, micromobility, and technology sectors. Our mission is to achieve safer roads for all, with a particular focus on cyclists, pedestrians, emergency and road workers, and other shared road users.

Contact VRUSC director Lisa Spellman for more information. Direct Message me on LinkedIn or email to vrusc@sae-itc.org

Ping me today & let's get busy! 

 

You know that sticker on the window of for-sale vehicles?  That handy item is from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) to provide comparative information on the safety performance of new vehicles and availability of new vehicle safety features, particularly those developed to protect shared road users, such as pedestrians and all things that roll – bikes, scooters, one-wheels and more. 
The shift in focus is noteworthy because up until this point, the NCAP was focused largely on the protection of those inside of the vehicle – not those outside of it.  While one can certainly become overloaded with information these days, the NCAP is a consistent helpful and generally easy to use tool to assist with vehicle purchasing decisions.

Interested individuals and organizations have an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed updates. The folks at NHTSA really do want to hear from us, so take some time to read and provide your thoughts by 25 July 2023.

Federal Register 2023-11201

 

While there have long been families and small groups that walk and cycle with their kids to school, a small group in Barcelona Spain, seemed to hit the “right place, right time” and this growing activity is being documented in news stories across the globe.  But this is not just happening in Europe, US cities are getting in on the movement as well and these efforts have caught the attention of the New York Times - #NewYorkTimes and Bicycling Magazine. 

Click the links below to read more about the movement.

 

On 31 May 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an NPRM as a key component of the National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS).  The proposed rule would require automatic emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian AEB systems on all new passenger cars and light duty trucks, as promulgated in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, Pub. L. 117-58) on all light vehicles manufactured on or after September 1, beginning three years after the publication date of a final rule.  NHTSA predicts that the rule, if passed, would reduce injuries by at least 24,000 and save more than 360 lives annually.

 

Our good friends at the European Cyclists’ Federation @EuCyclistsFed are pushing an initiative to make 2024 “The Year of European Cycling.” They have gathered support and signatures and sent a letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the designation. If they are successful, it will open resources and focus attention on the many benefits of cycling. 

To learn more, visit the link below.

 

Another helpful resource from @EuCyclistsFed. In 2021, the EU updated the regulations for rail passengers’ rights and obligations, including a provision to require expanded space on new and renovated trains for more bicycles.  There are indeed asterisks and still some loopholes, but it is an important step forward.  @EuCyclistsFed have provided an excellent policy brief with extensive information and links to gather even more details.

 

An interesting piece in the online resource – The Conversation – ran an interesting piece on the wide range of initiatives – citizen and government led – around making urban areas safer for all, but especially children and young people by “reclaiming urban areas” and the growth of “bicibús” or “bike busses.”

 

As originally reported on the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) website and reprinted with permission.

The introduction section of the UK Highway Code has been updated to include new rules concerning a revised ‘hierarchy of road users’. The approach is similar to the inverse pyramid of road safety priority ETSC has promoted for urban mobility for many years, which puts pedestrians and cyclists at the top, followed by motorcyclists, cars, vans and lorries.

The hierarchy places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy, but “it does not remove the need for everyone to behave responsibly”.
The approach is similar to the inverse pyramid of road safety priority ETSC has promoted for urban mobility for many years, which puts pedestrians and cyclists at the top, followed by motorcyclists, cars, vans and lorries. The new rules give greater priority to pedestrians when crossing roads and set out the appropriate passing distance when overtaking cyclists.

To read more, please visit the link below.