ITS Canada Hosts Summit Meeting on Autonomous Vehicles

Takes First Steps in Preparing Canada for Autonomous Vehicles

Ottawa, Ontario, November 25, 2013: ITS Canada is today hosting Canada’s first summit meeting on autonomous vehicles (AVs). AVs, also called automated, self-driving or driverless vehicles, refer to any car, truck or bus that is equipped with sensors, control hardware and software that manage all aspects of the driving function.

There are various use cases for autonomous vehicles. For example: a driver in the vehicle that may drive some of the time; a person in the vehicle who is not a licensed driver and does not drive; and, a “body-out” situation which refers to a self-driving vehicle with nobody actually in the vehicle, such as robotic taxis between fares and automated delivery vehicles.

AVs are a “disruptive technology” that will substantially impact our society and our lives. These impacts go far beyond transportation and include public transportation, the push for cleaner and greener cities, public health, law enforcement and policing, land values, housing, and opportunities and threats for Canadian businesses.

Michael De Santis, the Chair of ITS Canada, said “The required planning and preparation for the introduction of AVs at the end of this decade and into the 2020s will be a major challenge for Canadian governments, businesses and industries. The objective of the AV Summit is to take the first steps towards helping these stakeholders prepare and begin to plan for the introduction of AVs.”

Barrie Kirk, the Chair of ITS Canada’s Autonomous Vehicle Task Force added: “It is exciting that representatives from different levels of government, government agencies, industry associations and universities have started to discuss how Canada should prepare for autonomous vehicles.”

For more information:

ITS Canada (www.itscanada.ca) is an industry association that leads the promotion and advancement of intelligent transportation systems and services to benefit Canadians.

Michael De Santis, Chair ITS Canada

514-830-5969

mdesantis@itscanada.ca

Barrie Kirk, Chair, Autonomous Vehicles Task Force, ITS Canada

613-271-1657

bkirk@cavcoe.com