Alert – Autonomous Vehicles

With spring here and many Wisconsinites preparing to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather, ABATE of Wisconsin is preparing to launch their annual motorcycle awareness campaign. But with recent developments in Wisconsin’s efforts towards autonomous and connected vehicles, specifically SB695 and AB824 regarding truck platooning, motorcyclists are left wondering if our state legislature has plans to Share the Road. As the investigation into the Arizona crash that killed a pedestrian by an autonomous vehicle continues, the question needs to be asked; Is the Wisconsin Legislature and the Department of Transportation doing enough to protect all roadway users? It appears that during the crash several failures occurred, including the possibility of the pedestrian crossing the street in an unsafe manner, but also that the vehicle failed to recognize the pedestrian and the operator not being able to react in a timely manner. This situation is just one example of “real world situations” that need to be studied carefully before allowing these vehicles to operate on our roadways. Had that been a child running out for a ball or a motorcycle trying to navigate into a parking spot, would the result be any different? ABATE of Wisconsin is asking all parties with a stake in testing these vehicles on Wisconsin roads to be cautious about their approach to prevent future tragedies from happening. Rushing through legislation without serious deliberation of the consequences of such technology may create more roadway safety issues than we are currently trying to resolve. We sincerely hope that everyone looks twice at the opportunity to create safer roads for all roadway users.