August 14, 2024, Press Release from the Ohio Department of Transportation: COLUMBUS, OHIO – In a little under a year, DriveOhio’s Rural Automated Driving Systems (ADS) project collected nearly 60 terabytes of data that will help define future technology needs for automated vehicles in rural environments. While automated driving systems have the potential to dramatically improve roadway safety, data shows that these systems must be refined to maximize that potential in rural areas. Most automated vehicle testing to date has been conducted in urban areas without the hilly and curvy terrain, limited sight distances, and shaded tree canopies typical of a rural environment.  Funded in part by a $7.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, this project accomplished one of the most comprehensive testing efforts yet to be conducted on rural roads in the United States.

The survey finds that only 22 percent of people want manufacturers to focus on self-driving vehicles, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t willing to adapt to self-driving technology.