Driverless trucks and self-driving cars topped the agendas at IRU goods and passenger transport meetings this week, culminating in an agreed policy, endorsed by IRU members today at the biannual General Assembly.
The policy acknowledges the substantial impact that autonomous vehicles will have on the road transport industry, and focuses on a strategy for successfully achieving the shift.
Highlighting safety, security and sustainability as the three key factors, IRU calls for technical standards to be harmonised and for proof of the technology’s safety potential to be flagged.
Security considerations encompass minimising the risk of cyber-attacks and data security breaches, and respecting privacy legislation.
The policy is balanced with fresh impetus to encourage young drivers to join the industry to enhance its sustainability, and to be properly trained on the new technologies to allow their roles to evolve as the innovations are adopted.
