Kentucky recorded nearly 134,000 collisions in 2018. These incidents resulted in 664 fatalities and almost 23,000 non-fatal injuries. While these numbers represent an improvement over 2017, Kentucky still has a long way to go to achieve the goal of zero deaths on its roads. KYTC continues to leverage a broad arsenal of countermeasures to prevent transportation- related injuries and deaths, including aggressive public education initiatives such as Buckle Up / Phone Down, Local Heroes, checkpoints, and partnerships with public health and local communities. Along with educational outreach, the Cabinet is taking steps to improve road design (e.g., increasing pavement friction, enhancing delineation along horizontal curves, installing rumble strips). But over the past 10 years crash numbers have remained stagnant. CAV technologies — both those installed on vehicles and those built into infrastructure — have the potential to meaningfully reduce crash numbers.

The promised safety benefits of CAVs are immense. CV technologies can warn drivers of upcoming traffic lights, stopped vehicles, and congestion, enabling them to adjust their driving accordingly. The USDOT has identified over 40 use cases for V2I. Various levels of automation, including full automation (Level 4 and 5 systems), can facilitate safer vehicle activity and prevent collisions. Testing and deployment of CAVs in Kentucky will accelerate efforts to achieve a safe and dependable network of roads and bridges.

The public remains skeptical about CAVs, especially ADS. In some surveys, at least half of the respondents said they do not believe AVs will reduce crash injuries and fatalities, and that they would feel less safe with these vehicles on the roads. However, evidence indicates that once people are exposed to AVs (e.g., knowingly sharing the roads with them) they become more accepting of them. A recent driving simulator study done at the University of Louisville provided insights into how drivers respond to different levels of automation. During the study participants were exposed to different levels of vehicle automation (Levels 0 – 4). Researchers found that driver performance aligned with driver preference for level of AV technology. Participants least preferred Level 3 automation as it is the most complex due to switching back and forth between human driving and machine-based driving.

KYTC has surveyed Kentuckians to understand what concerns they have about CAVs. Along with concerns over safety, the survey found that commercial vehicle drivers fear that AVs will cause job losses. No evidence points toward the introduction of AVs eliminating these jobs, particularly in the near future. Some analysts expect the trucking industry will be among the first to feel the impacts of automation, but industrywide automation is not imminent. And indeed, trucking firms are especially keen to track how CAV technologies affect crash rates. But if a shift toward fully automated commercial vehicles were to occur rapidly, policy solutions may be crafted to assist displaced drivers. Currently a shortage of drivers exists, meaning that CAVs could help the industry keep pace with growing demand. Educating the public on the capabilities and limitations of emerging vehicle technologies is critical and will erase common misconceptions. 

Although urban areas dot Kentucky’s landscape, the state is predominantly rural. As of 2019, about 17 percent of Kentucky’s residents were currently 65 or older. By 2040 this number is expected to approach 25 percent. Over the next 20 years two-thirds of Kentucky’s counties will see population declines as growth concentrates in urban and suburban areas. The complex transportation landscape engendered by these trends will present many challenges. In urban areas, designs must balance the needs of all users and consider the impacts of CAVs. Aging populations in rural areas will have to negotiate difficulties with mobility. The latter issues could be solved, at least in part, by AV-equipped transit and paratransit services. People with disabilities and those who do not drive or who have limited transportation options can also be aided by these services. Shared mobility solutions (e.g., Mobility-as-a-Service [MaaS]) offer one strategy for enhancing the mobility of Kentucky’s residents and connecting them to needed resources. MaaS relies on smartphone apps to connect users with needed public and private transportation services. Understanding how MaaS can be optimized to equitably meet transportation challenges should be a priority for KYTC. The Cabinet will also benefit from investigating the role it can play in their implementation.