The American Transportation Research Institute's top research priorities for 2018 include smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and cannabis intoxication testing procedures, among others.

Each year, ATRI’s research advisory committee develops the list of topics at the group’s annual meeting. The topics are then vetted and approved by the ATRI board of directors, which announced its approval of this year's list. The list for 2018 mirrors new technological and societal changes that may have an effect on the trucking industry.

This year, ATRI listed urban planning and smart city design for trucks as a top research priority. The group wants to examine how and where truck freight delivery can be effectively incorporated in urban planning and smart city design approaches.

ATRI also wants to research the consistency and accuracy of commercial motor vehicle crash data. In looking at how crash data is currently being used, ATRI wants to identify ways to improve CMV crash data collection, quality, management and submission at the state and local levels.

Commercial driver’s license testing is another focus for ATRI in 2018. It will review the range of requirements for CDL testing across states and identify best practices in order to develop an effective set of testing requirements.

With the rise of autonomous vehicle testing and development within the trucking industry, ATRI plans to analyze how these technologies will change the operational environment and driving requirements for all commercial drivers.

Lastly, ATRI is looking into best practices for cannabis intoxication testing. By exploring best practices in the U.S. and abroad, ATRI plans to benchmark recommended maximum intoxication levels and identify recommendations for driver sobriety testing.

ATRI is a non-profit research organization affiliated with the American Trucking Associations that gathers and analyzes data on a wide range of transportation industry issues.