The Partners for Automated Vehicle Education has welcomed nine members to a coalition that was launched in January to educate the public and policymakers about the safety benefits of advanced vehicle technologies and self-driving vehicles.

The latest members are a diverse group of industry leaders ranging from developers of simulation software, sensors, and other technology for autonomous vehicles to an independent vehicle testing facility. They include Applied Intuition; Autofleet; Carmera; Dataspeed, Inc.; Nauto; Navya; Point One Navigation; Transportation Research Center Inc.; and Velodyne Lidar.

Co-chaired by the National Safety Council and Audi of America, the coalition is a broad coalition of leading industry, non-profit and academic institutions launching a first-of-its kind, fact-based campaign to inform consumers and policymakers about the potential and the reality of advanced vehicle technologies.

The overarching goal of the group is to raise awareness and understanding of autonomous vehicle technology and its potential benefits. Educational initiatives will include everything from educational materials to hands-on public demonstration events.

In fact, the coalition recently announced that it will partner with SAE International and Dataspeed Inc. to host its first public demonstration event at the Cobo Center in downtown Detroit from April 5 to 7.

Consumers will have an opportunity to ride in a self-driving car. The event will also feature interactive displays that will help visitors understand the technology behind autonomous vehicles and their potential to increase safety, expand mobility for select populations, and enhance environmental sustainability. 

Other elements of the ongoing campaign include policymaker workshops at the local, state and federal level; educational materials for industry sales personnel and others who work directly with consumers; and active online educational efforts through the PAVEcampaign.org website and social media channels.