Australia and Michigan sign Intelligent Transport Systems MOU

Australia and the US state of Michigan made inroads into working together in the intelligent transport systems space by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) this week at the University of Melbourne.

Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack sees the MOU as an important part of preparing to safely introduce automated and connected vehicles to Australian roads.

Cooperation possibilities

The MOU made mention of the following as possible areas for cooperation:

• sharing scientific, technological, regulatory and policy data
• co-hosting meetings, workshops and conferences between Michigan and Australia, as well as other countries
• sharing best practices in skilled trades and workforce development programs
• developing new programs to address emerging technology needs
• the creation of a joint task force to provide advice on strengthening Michigan and Australian technology clusters and connecting key coordinating bodies.

Safety, safety, safety

At the core of this new technology are the possibilities they have for making our roads safer places.

“Over 90 per cent of crashes are estimated to result at least in part from human choices, so the potential benefits from sharing of expertise and experience between our two jurisdictions are enormous,” Mr McCormack said.

“This is just one way the Government is promoting safer vehicles on safer roads, including for our regions where road crashes remain unacceptably high.”

Governor of Michigan Rick Snyder was enthusiastic about what the partnership could offer..

“This agreement establishes a great partnership through which we will share research and knowledge between Michigan and Australia in the development and deployment of intelligent vehicle transportation to ensure technology and safety go hand-in-hand with progress,” Governor Snyder said.

“Ensuring the safety of connected and autonomous vehicles is paramount, and that will require a truly global approach to testing and validating the technology, as well as addressing the regulatory and policy environment those efforts operate in.

“Michigan is proud to work alongside the world’s transportation leaders to address these challenges and opportunities to help bring connected and autonomous vehicles to roadways around the globe.”