Episode Summary

Omar Ahmad, Deputy Director of the Driving Safety Research Institute at the University of Iowa, discusses his recent project focused on automated driving systems (ADS) in rural America. This episode discusses the challenges of deploying automated vehicles (AVs), particularly in rural areas. Omar highlights issues like software bias towards urban environments, sensor malfunctions in poor weather (especially ice), and difficulty with irregular intersections and high-speed traffic in rural areas. While AVs show promise for safety and mobility in general, this conversation identifies that the technology is not yet ready for widespread autonomous deployment in rural settings.

Episode Resources

Omar Ahmad’s Project page

Traditional roadway hazard study on roadway crashes: Farm vehicle crashes on public roads: Analysis of farm-level factors