Virginia Lawmakers Explore Autonomous Technology for Transportation

Highway work crews are often at risk of injury or worse from passing vehicles, leading state and federal agencies to install crash-absorbing devices that mitigate impacts on guardrails, construction vehicles, and work zones to enhance safety.

However, safety devices called truck-mounted attenuators (TMAs) have not been as effective. The portable barriers are affixed to the rear of work trucks and are designed to blunt the impact of crashes and protect workers.

Over the past four years, there have been an average of 77 strikes on non-automated truck-mounted attenuators in Virginia, and more than 50 operator injuries since 2020, according to state lawmakers.

Now, the state is considering using autonomous technology to improve roadside safety in work zones and to explore future commercial use opportunities.

“It’s just giving the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) the chance to see how this will work out and maybe get some numbers on whether or not it improves safety for VDOT workers or not,” said Del. Jackie Glass, D-Norfolk, sponsor of House Bill 582.

The measure proposes a pilot program for autonomous truck-mounted attenuators in work zones.

Autonomous TMAs can enhance worker safety by removing drivers from high-risk environments where vehicles often strike protective trucks.

Under this legislation, TMAs used in the pilot must undergo successful testing and be approved by the Department of Transportation. The department would also be required to submit an annual report on the pilot’s progress and effectiveness to the General Assembly.

Sen. Kannan Srinivasan, D-Loudoun, has introduced similar legislation through Senate Bill 320.

“This promotes safety,” Srinivasan said. “That’s exactly why I was passionate about this bill when I met with VDOT, because with … 50 injuries and 77 strikes on TMAs in the last four years, that can be avoided (with this legislation).”

Glass emphasized that her bill and similar legislative efforts represent the future of transportation technology.

“If you watch the first episode of The Jetsons, you will see a robot, you will see Alexa. The last thing that they don’t have are flying cars, but we’re moving in a way that folks imagined,” Glass said. “So if you’re a believer in that humans will continue to innovate, especially around the space of transportation, this is a space to put your head and put your thoughts into.”

Expanding autonomous technology use

Legislators are also considering how to implement autonomous technology, including proposals that include stakeholder input on the subject.

HB 1124, sponsored by Del. Nadarius Clark, D-Suffolk, would establish strict regulations and safety standards for the operation of autonomous vehicles.

Lawmakers amended the bill to task the state’s autonomous vehicle work group with assessing the workforce impacts of autonomous vehicles, including a review of job losses and gains, by Nov. 1.

Clark said his bill also ensures that representatives from driver labor unions and the manufacturing industry will be part of the dialogue.

Their role is to ensure that, “while we’re studying autonomous vehicles, we will also look at the effects for workers that may lose their jobs — sadly — because of the technology, but also making sure that they are at the table,” Clark said.

Clark’s bill successfully passed both chambers on Wednesday afternoon.

Since its introduction, the Department of Planning and Budgeting and VDOT have determined that the state needs to allocate $130,000 to cover a one-time expense for hiring the necessary personnel with expertise to evaluate employment impacts from autonomous vehicles.

SB 670, a proposed comprehensive framework bill for commercial autonomous vehicles in the state, has been postponed for a second year.

Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim, D-Fairfax, the bill’s sponsor, said lawmakers will carry the proposal over to next year to allow for further refinement and the addition of supporting regulations, particularly concerning safety, privacy, liability, cross-jurisdictional coordination, and employment impacts.

“The industry is coming, whether we like it or not; it is technology that’s moving forward,” Salim told the Mercury last week.

The General Assembly will adjourn on Saturday, after which the governor will review all legislation passed by both chambers and decide whether to approve, reject, or amend it.

by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.