In light of the existing and forthcoming AV systems, states will need to be prepared to make necessary adjustments to policies and laws, especially if they pertain to public safety. The discussions presented in this report aim at providing an overview of some of the major issues, technologies, and local regulations surrounding vehicle crashes, particularly those that could be related to AVs. Before, during, and after a crash occurs, the human driver/operator assumes many responsibilities. Such responsibilities lead to taking certain actions by the human driver/operator, such as pulling over to the road shoulder or a safe location after a crash occurs, or safely returning to the crash scene. In addition to the human driver, vehicles are also required to perform and fulfil certain requirements that are proposed or mandated through guidelines and regulations. These could range from logging data through an event data recorder (EDR) in case of a crash or providing technologies such as ESC. Currently, the driver, vehicle, policies, and procedures are all at equilibrium. Roles, responsibilities, and requirements are fairly well defined, and each party is educated and informed about them. However, this equilibrium is being disrupted by the introduction of AVs and can be further exacerbated in the event of the first AV crash. This disturbance to the current existing balance in the system is mostly due to two main reasons: * As AV technology increasingly and progressively takes over the task of driving (actions that include perception, navigation, and actuation), the definition of the operator/driver becomes a topic for further discussion. The system may not be able to fulfil all responsibilities and actions that are currently performed by the driver in certain situations that can potentially lead to a crash. * The AV technology produces a significant amount of data that could be used in case a crash occurs. These data, or information, could be used to not only mitigate the consequences of a crash but also help further investigate the crash itself. The goal in this effort is to: * Consider the impact and possible changes that may need to be introduced to the existing laws in Texas. * Better define and frame the unknowns and questions that may arise in the event of an AV crash. * Investigate the opportunities that could be potentially leveraged in improving the current state of traffic incident management (TIM). (Author/publisher)
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