Autonomous vehicles are being piloted already in Allen County, Deputy Director for the Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 Kirk Slusher said Monday, and many more are coming.
By 2021, every car manufacturer will be selling autonomous vehicles, Slusher said. Over the next 20 to 30 years, the American driver will see significant change on the road and how they drive.
“They’re here, and you’re going to see them coming at a rapid pace,” Slusher said.
Many cars sold now already include features of autonomous vehicles, for example, lane departure detection and speed control. The first places the public will notice the autonomous vehicles will be larger cities, in public transportation systems, and private transportation companies, such as Uber.
“You’ll be hailing a driverless vehicle,” Slusher said. “The car could still have a ‘driver,’ but they won’t be driving.”
U.S. Route 33, from Lima to Columbus, is one of three state pilot projects this summer, preparing roads and infrastructure for driverless vehicles. The stretch will be wifi-enabled, and a fiber network will be added to the median, allowing vehicles to “talk” to one another and the road.
Slusher also talked about road and driving safety, saying the number of accidents is climbing at a time when cars and roads are safer than ever. Ohio saw 330,000 accidents last year, many of them because of distracted drivers.
“We have a serious problem with driver distraction,” Slusher said.
The Ohio Department of Transportation is increasing awareness of the issue with a safe driving pledge drivers can make, saying they won’t drive distracted.
Slusher also discussed spring and summer construction projects in the region. Allen County is relatively quiet compared to the previous years of Interstate 75 work that is now complete, Slusher said. Work on I-75 continues in Hancock County. Allen County’s work consists mainly of culvert replacements and two bridge deck replacements on 75, at Bentley Road and Napoleon Road.
In other Rotary business:
Harold Bischoff reminded members the MESA bike ride is June 1-6, and members can donate pledges to riders. The ride raises more than half of MESA’s operating revenue.
The next social meeting will be May 23 at The Met.
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