Posted: | November 17, 2017 10:23 AM |
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From: | Representative Greg Rothman |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Authorization for Use of Automated Work Zone Vehicles by PennDOT and the PA Turnpike Commission and Platooning of Motor Carrier Vehicles |
In the near future I plan to introduce legislation that would:
These fully autonomous vehicles are a necessity to protect workers from injury or death caused by other motorists. They operate without a driver by following a PennDOT/PATC maintenance vehicle that has been outfitted with hardware to communicate its maneuvering and actions to the automated vehicle. The autonomous system can then exactly match the motion of the leader vehicle, following at a constant, predetermined distance to provide consistent protection from work zone intrusion without placing a driver at risk. While Colorado recently became the first state in the nation to deploy these vehicles, the Commonwealth has the opportunity to be on the cutting-edge of work zone safety. According to the PA Turnpike Commission, from 2015 - 2017:
Platooning Platooning is when motor carrier vehicles travel in a unified manner at electronically coordinated speeds while drivers retain steering control and command of their vehicle at all times. These vehicles use GPS, cameras, radar-based collision avoidance, and proprietary vehicle-control algorithms in order to couple trucks through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The direct communication link between the vehicles enables the non-lead vehicle(s) to automatically react to acceleration or braking by the front vehicle, nearly instantaneously. This automatic and immediate reaction improves safety and allows vehicles to travel at closer distances, which improves aerodynamics and reduces fuel use. Under current law, the driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent. My legislation would exempt those vehicles in a platoon from being pulled over and cited for a violation of §3310 (related to following too closely), as well as:
Clean
Efficient
Business benefits
Please join me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation. |
Introduced as HB1958