The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is calling on 100 truck drivers to participate in an experiment using a simulator to evaluate distractions that occur while driving trucks equipped with lower-level autonomous technology.
The research, which will also include a non-simulator training study session, will assess driver readiness when assuming control of a truck with Level 2 (L2) and Level 3 (L3) autonomous driving systems (ADS) and develop a driver-distraction training program, according to a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday.
The notice is a request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review and approve the study. The public will have 60 days to comment on it.
FMCSA states in the notice that more research is needed on ADS in trucking because so far most are installed in passenger vehicles, with ADS in commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) only recently being used in real-world operations.
“Therefore, FMCSA needs more data on ADS-equipped CMVs to understand driver behavior and policy implications,” the agency stated.
L2 is considered “partial” driving automation, including features that control steering, braking and accelerating, but the human driver must be fully and continuously engaged, according to the Society of Automotive Engineers. L3 is considered “conditional” driving automation, whereby the vehicle can perform all driving tasks under some circumstances, but a human driver must be ready to take back control at any time.
“When an L3 vehicle alerts the driver that a takeover is required, the driver needs to have situational awareness to resume full control of the vehicle,” FMCSA stated. “Engagement in non-driving secondary tasks may prevent the driver from maintaining situational awareness of the driving environment.”
The ADS experiment, the agency notes, “will provide insight into the human factors associated with semi-automated CMVs. Moreover, these findings will inform training materials to educate drivers on distraction and the functionality of ADS as well as policy pertaining to the implications of ADS in CMVs.”
According to FMCSA’s most current significant rulemaking report, the agency anticipates issuing in November a proposed rule on integrating ADS-equipped trucks onto roads and highways.
FMCSA said it expects to get 100 drivers to participate in the experiment, with 50 participating in the L2 study sessions and 50 in the L3 sessions. Each study session will be completed in 4 hours, for a total of up to 8 hours for participating drivers.
Jackson Nordland
I’ll do it bring the truck to rosebud wood products in Madison SD and I’ll do it
Jackson Nordland
and make sure it will do at least 80 mph
Thaddeus Murchison
how will the participants be selected?
Thaddeus Murchison
how will the participants be picked?
Paul Ray Jones
are they paying for this and providing travel to and fro and meals where does one sign up
Jermaine Weathers
so let me get this straight FMCSA has screwed over so many of us as truck drivers now no companies wants to hire us because they’ve allowed companies like jb hunt ,pns and us express make rules that everybody in trucking didn’t agree upon and the industry have a shortage of drivers because of this so now FMCSA wants to take chances on robots doing a man’s job??! let’s see how many people FMCSA going to kill with these robots as hard as we work FMCSA makes us look like we’re the enemy of this industry for they’re own satisfaction it’s complete slavery at this point and the white house needs to step in and ask us as truck drivers what do we want because this is ridiculous
robert
spike strips…..is the answer.
Ryan
We already have automatic brakes from the camera and lidar. The industry is pushing this technology to eventually have nobody in the truck and some guy in Nevada behind a computer screen driving a video game style. We need to make laws to never ever let that happen. People need to make money and earn a income. Y’all need to be put in check.
Grajeda, Herman
My opinion: Do Not Produce Autonomous Commercial Vehicles.
Make ROBOCOP to arrest the criminals and SAFE the life of a Peace Officer and citizens.
Lets see if the bad guy will challenge ROBOCOP.
ROBOCOP is a movie, yet, understand my theory of a ROBOT POLICE OFFICER.