2021 Virtual Forum on the Impact of Vehicle Technologies and Automation on Users: A Summary Report

• March 23rd, 2022

On September 15–17, 2021, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA Foundation) convened a three-day virtual forum, the fourth in the series of forums on the impact of vehicle technologies and automation on users. Consistent with past forums, the main objective was to gather representatives and experts from the research community, government, and industry to discuss issues and to identify research needs and critical considerations regarding the design and safety of vehicle technologies and automation (see Appendix A for list of registered organizations). The forum offered a mixture of panel/webinar presentations (through Zoom) and dynamic, avatar-based interactions among attendees (though Gather). This year, the panel discussions and presentations also included a sampling of AAA Foundation-led or sponsored work on research topics that originated in the earlier forums (2017–2019).

Each day, attendees convened for a two-hour session (see Appendix B for program). The first hour was reserved for a panel discussion or virtual presentations from invited speakers. The second hour involved breakout group discussions on pre-defined topics. Each day was oriented around a different (though not mutually exclusive) theme:

• Day 1: Understanding and Perception of Vehicle Automation
• Day 2: Driver Interactions with Vehicle Automation
• Day 3: Education and Training on Vehicle Automation

This summary report documents the panel and group discussions such that the outcome can be shared with other stakeholders to improve coordination and encourage collaboration. A high-level overview of the panel and research presentations are provided in the sections below. This is followed by a careful detailing of the many research questions and discussion points that emerged from the group breakout exercises.

Read the full study here.