Autonomous vehicle development and road construction updates powered by artificial intelligence are at the top of the wish list for the Michigan Council on Future Mobility and Electrification.
The council was established last year to put forth proposals on ways Michigan can lead the electric and autonomous vehicle industries. The group released its 2021 report this week, outlining ways both business and legislative partners can start shaping Michigan roadways for the future.
The report comes as Michigan continues to see uncommonly high fatal traffic crash numbers, on pace to set a record for the second straight year.
Related: Michigan on pace to set record high roadway fatalities this year, again
Within the 70-page report is a section dedicated to “smart infrastructure,” focused on what the council calls the industry’s moonshot: a 40-mile corridor stretching from Detroit to Ann Arbor designed for self-driving vehicles.
Ford and General Motors, which both have representative on the advisory committee for the project, have been scaling up self-driving fleets.
Ford plans to deploy at least 1,000 autonomous vehicles on the Lyft network across multiple markets over the next five years. The first fleet will be seen in Miami by the end of this year. Argo AI Ford Fusion Hybrids were deployed in downtown Detroit in 2019.
Last week, GM set a new target for its self-driving vehicle service, Cruise, during a GM investor event. The latest goal is for at least 1 million self-driving vehicles by 2030.
The Highway Loss Data Institute and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety studied the effects of safety features already in vehicles for a December 2020 report. Autobrake features decreased front-to-rear crash injuries by 56%, according to the report. The combination of automatic braking, parking sensors and a rearview camera reduced backup crashes by 78%.
Related: Ford didn’t give Michigan shot at new electric plants, Whitmer says
The state is investing in self-driving vehicles to not only save time and emissions, but to make progress on the Michigan Department of Transportation’s eventual goal of zero traffic fatalities. An estimated 94% of all car crashes are caused by human error, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
To keep up with technology, lawmakers need to define policies that allow for physical infrastructure, digital infrastructure and operational infrastructure, Michigan Chief Mobility Officer Trevor Pawl said. It’s a discussion that needs to happen sooner rather than later, Pawl said.
“Highly automated vehicles and smart infrastructure that’s 10% safer for the average human will save more lives than waiting until it’s 75% safer,” he said. “Our thinking is it’s not a one morning you flip the switch scenario with self driving vehicles. We need to begin to integrate them right now to begin to see the gains and safety, right now.”
Michigan is among the states trending higher than normal for traffic fatalities. Compared to this time last year there have been 79 more fatalities and 446 more serious injuries on Michigan roadways, according to Michigan State Police.
To date, 876 people have died in car crashes this year. Statewide, 4,484 people have been seriously injured in a car crash this year.
National numbers started trending upward in 2020 and have yet to plateau. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a report showing a 10.5% increase in deaths for the first quarter of 2021.
Construction worker deaths in Michigan saw an uptick as well. Artificial intelligence could be the next step in improving driver notification of construction zones and changing traffic patterns more quickly, according to the CFME report.
The report recommends MDOT work with the mobility industry to develop systems for sharing construction zone data in real-time to enable dynamic updates of maps and using AI to keep construction workers and motorists safe.
Michigan is part of the national campaign Toward Zero Deaths, which tracks crash statistics, promotes safety culture and strategy and champions the idea that one death on our nation’s roadways is too many.
More on MLive:
Michigan’s high-tech industries need foreign workers to drive future growth
Michigan wants to build a mile of electrified roadway to charge cars as they go
Raising wages decreases fatal truck crashes, Michigan researcher finds
Michigan officials ‘concerned’ after seat belt use drops to lowest rate since 2004