International development consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff has been awarded a pivotal consulting study for Austroads to identify and assess key issues road operators will face with the introduction of automated vehicles to our roads.

Parsons Brinckerhoff Section Executive, Scot Coleman, said the automated vehicles (AV) will operate on our roads in the next five to twenty years: “It’s not a matter of if, but when, we will see the introduction of highly automated vehicles on Australian roads.”

“Governments, road agencies and private road operators throughout the world will need to be ready to deal with the significant operational, social and economic ramifications of automated vehicles,” he said.

According to Austroads ‎Program Director for Cooperative & Automated Systems, Stuart Ballingall, the project will draw on international and local expertise.

“We intend to review both international and local literature and initiatives and seek the input of local and international stakeholders regarding the emerging requirements for AV to operate on public and private road networks, in urban and rural environments.

“The outcomes from this project will provide guidance to road agencies, private road operators and other stakeholders on what changes may be required to the way our road networks are managed.

“We’re aiming for a best-practice, consistent approach that supports and optimises the outcomes from the introduction and use of AV,” said Mr Ballingall.