Roads that Cars Can Read Report III: Tackling the Transition to Automated Vehicles

This paper is concerned with the relationship between road infrastructure and safety for both conventional and increasingly-autonomous vehicles as the latter become more common on road networks. Understanding the current situation and looking forward may relieve some of the anxieties described above. The paper provides a framework for considering these issues and works within the structure of the Johari Window.

During and after the transition to AVs, barriers will be required as a failsafe for all vehicles on higher speed roads, autonomous or not, but justifying the simple economics of providing them will arguably become more difficult as crashes with these systems become less common.

During and after the transition, countermeasures for crashes involving conventional vehicles, but also benefitting other road-users, may also become more difficult to justify economically unless they also benefit AVs - for example, street lighting or anti-skid surfacing.