01551516

Component

Connected and autonomous vehicle technologies have the potential to significantly change surface transportation as it is known it today by providing greater mobility to users and improving driver safety by making driving easier and more efficient. As autonomous and connected vehicles begin to replace today’s manually operated vehicles, Automated Highway Systems will begin to replace current roadways and more electronic assist features and communication technologies will begin to appear in cars. In order for the transportation workforce to keep up with the changes in automobile technology, educational institutions must become part of the change. Along with changes to workforce training needs, the deployment of automated vehicles could also impact driver licensing skills testing criteria and driver’s education since the vehicle would be doing most of the driving instead of the human. This paper seeks to evaluate the impacts of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies on workforce training needs and driver’s licensing. In this paper, the authors will provide recommendations to community colleges and trade schools which offer certificates or training to transportation professionals as well as State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) on how policies, curriculum courses, or testing procedures will need to change as the nation’s surface transportation is moving toward automation. This paper is based upon a project undertaken for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to assess implications for agency operations due to autonomous and connected vehicles. Although the analysis provided in this paper refers to Pennsylvania community colleges and trade schools, they are representative of national colleges and schools.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ABG20 Transportation Education and Training.

01550057

15-2492

English

14p

2015

Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

References; Tables

Automated highways; Curricula; Driver licensing; Education and training methods; Intelligent vehicles; Mobile communication systems; Workforce

Community colleges

Data and Information Technology; Education and Training; Highways; Law; Operations and Traffic Management; I10: Economics and Administration; I73: Traffic Control

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2015 Paper #15-2492

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Dec 30 2014 12:53PM