The National Science Foundation (NSF) examined NSF funded research at the University of Iowa Hank Lab and Driving Safety Research Institute investigating what changes will be needed to protect pedestrians at road crossings as the number of self-driving vehicles increases. The spotlight was part of the NSF Science Now series. 

With an estimated 3.5 million self-driving vehicles expected on America’s roads by next year, University of Iowa researchers are investigating how to make crossing the road safe, especially for children. In cars driven by humans, a hand wave or a car completely stopping are cues letting us know it’s safe to cross but in a world with self-driving cars, those signals may need to change. The research was made possible by the U.S. National Science Foundation. 

Watch the video below.