State Legislature pushes automated safety vehicles at PennDOT, turnpike maintenance sites

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | March 18, 2018 | Ed Blazina

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

It sounds like an oxymoron, but the state Legislature is taking action to help reduce the risk in one of the more dangerous jobs in road maintenance: driving the safety truck.

The trucks are fitted with a warning arrow and a crash barrier on the rear. They are driven slowly to provide protection behind crews cutting grass and painting lines. About once a month, one of these truck drivers is injured when a motorist strikes the vehicle.

To address that situation and others, the state House passed a bill last week to allow autonomous versions of the vehicle, known as a truck-mounted attenuator, in PennDOT and turnpike maintenance zones. The Senate is considering a similar bill to allow the driverless vehicles, which have been developed by a Lehigh County firm and currently are involved in pilot projects in England and Colorado.

“The primary application is in work-zone safety,” said Roger Cohen, senior adviser to PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards. “In this instance, you can use an autonomous vehicle and not have to expose the driver to that potential injury. We want this legislation to move.”

PennDOT has 62 attenuators mounted on trucks and another 308 on trailers. The legislation also would allow other autonomous vehicles in work zones as they become available.

As a member of the House Transportation Committee, state Rep. Greg Rothman, R-Cumberland County, said he wrote the legislation as part of the committee’s review of potential ways state laws could be changed in limited ways to take advantage of vehicle automation. He said it was “a happy marriage” that a PennDOT task force also was reviewing the use of automated vehicles to improve safety for work crews.

[Paladin2]

This is about the best use of autonomous vehicles; as a dedicated follower.

[goodtomato]

On the PA Turnpike, bet the driverless truck still gets paid union scale!

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