The three Regulations are applicable in the 54 countries that are Parties to the 1958 Agreement.  

• UN Regulation No. 155 on Cyber Security and Cyber Security Management Systems  

This is the first international regulation governing vehicles’ cybersecurity. It introduces, among others, audit related provisions that allow the assessment of the robustness of the cyber security measures implemented by manufacturers and the way manufacturers and their suppliers are able to mitigate cybersecurity related risks as well as obligation to perform risks assessments and to keep them current. It also imposes a number of requirements, including the obligation to monitor and report on incidents. It is referred to in UN Regulation No. 157, given that automated driving systems must be appropriately protected against cybersecurity risks. 

Some Countries and Regions had already announced that they would implement this Regulation and make it compulsory: 

• Japan indicated that it transposed the Regulation in January 2021 and that it will become mandatory for new vehicle types from July 2022 (if no OTA functionality, January 2024) and for new vehicles produced from July 2024 (if no OTA functionality, May 2026). 

• Korea announced that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to implement it by 2022. 
• In the European Union, the regulation will be mandatory for all new vehicle types from July 2022 and will become mandatory for all new vehicles produced from July 2024. 
• UN Regulation No. 156 on Software Updates and Software Updates Management Systems 

Software updates, including over-the-air updates may play an increasing role in the automotive sector. This is expected to be true because of the benefits it can bring in order to mitigate cyber security risks. It might find also applications in order to update automated driving systems as technical progress is made. This new UN Regulation provides a new dimension to the Type Approval system, which did not such situations in the past. This is the first international regulation governing vehicles’ Over the air (OTA) software updates.    

• UN Regulation No. 157 on the type approval of Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS)  

This is the first international regulation governing the introduction of so-called “level 3” systems with a limited use case on motorways, and especially traffic jam situations. It includes a number of safety requirements, driver monitoring related provisions of importance when driver is requested to take back the driving tasks as well as provisions for Data Storage Systems for Automated Driving a kind of black box that will collect data related to the system and its use as well as Driver monitoring. 

Under the leadership of the USA, China and Germany, the World Forum’s Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles is working on a generic approach to cover ALKS use on all types of roads. Other extensions of the scope of UN Regulation No. 157 are being considered, notably higher speeds on motorways, including the possibility for lane changes, and its application to trucks. 

Foretellix has recently released its novel ADAS & Highway solution that provides an out-of-the-box, comprehensive verification package from Level 2 driver-assist technologies to Level 4 highway-focused, fully autonomous solutions. With the introduction of the new package, the solution now includes the first-ever commercial implementation of new ALKS regulation by the UNECE, the world’s first Level 3 regulation.

In a joint demonstration with Mobileye, the ALKS verification package generated the required regulation scenarios and parameters and provided measurable metrics on the RSS controlled vehicle behavior. The package used Mobileye’s RSS model to ensure that the tested vehicle does not initiate dangerous situations and properly responds to dangerous situations initiated by other vehicles. These scenarios were varied over a wide range of parameter values, demonstrating that safety as well as regulatory requirements are met.

The advanced systems that will have to be fitted in all new vehicles are: intelligent speed assistance; alcohol interlock installation facilitation; driver drowsiness and attention warning; advanced driver distraction warning; emergency stop signal; reversing detection; and event data recorder (“black box”). The intelligent speed assistance (ISA) system could reduce fatalities on EU roads by 20%, according to estimates.

For passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, it will also be mandatory to have an emergency braking system (already compulsory for lorries and buses), as well as an emergency lane-keeping system.

Most of these technologies and systems are due to become mandatory as from May 2022 for new models and as from May 2024 for existing models.

Trucks and buses safer for cyclists and pedestrians

Direct vision technology should be applied to new models as from November 2025 and for existing models from November 2028.

Improved crash tests and windscreens

The new rules also improve passive safety requirements, including crash tests (front and side), as well as windscreens to mitigate the severity of injuries for pedestrians and cyclists. Type-approval of tyres will also be improved to test worn tyres.

Next steps

The regulation, approved by Parliament with 578 votes to 30, and 25 abstentions, will now be submitted for approval to the EU Council of Ministers.

In 2018, around 25 100 people died on EU roads and 135 000 were seriously injured, according to preliminary figures published by the Commission.

The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) has issued a preparation of a technical regulation including requirements for self-driving vehicles and safety requirements in the UAE.

With important and wide-reaching changes being defined by international regulators on what Assisted and Automated systems can and can’t do, the Automated Driving Insurer Group (ADIG), led by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) in collaboration with Thatcham Research, has released a white paper setting out the latest position of UK insurers.

The ‘Regulating Automated Driving’ paper is set to reveal that UK insurers, including AXA, Admiral, Ageas, Allianz, Aviva, Co-operative Insurance, Covea, Direct Line Group, esure, LV, RSA, Zurich and the Lloyd’s Market, strongly support vehicle automation in the firm belief that it will deliver a significant reduction in accidents. However, there are real concerns about driver confusion caused by so-called intermediate automated systems. Such systems offer significant self-driving capability but require the driver to take back control of the vehicle in certain circumstances.

Peter Shaw, Thatcham Research CEO comments, “Vehicles with intermediate systems that offer assisted driving still require immediate driver intervention if the car cannot deal with a situation. Systems like these are fast emerging and unless clearly regulated, could convince drivers that their car is more capable than it actually is. This risk of autonomous ambiguity could result in a short term increase in crashes.”

The paper suggests that a clear distinction between Assisted and Automated systems should be made by International Regulators considering design standards for these vehicles. Therefore, a vehicle should be clearly identified and marketed as Automated only when:

• The driver can safely disengage in the knowledge that the car has sufficient capabilities to deal with virtually all situations on the road;
• A vehicle encounters a situation it can’t handle, that it has the ability to come to a safe stop;
• The autonomous system can avoid all conceivable crash types and can continue to function adequately in the event of a partial system failure;
• Both insurers and vehicle manufacturers can immediately access data to identify whether the driver or vehicle is liable in the case of an accident, without ambiguity

“The insurance industry strongly supports the development of automated driving technology – which we see as the logical conclusion to work over several decades to reduce the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on the roads,” comments James Dalton, Director of General Insurance Policy at the ABI. “However, we know all too well from conventional vehicles that drivers often misunderstand what their vehicles can and can’t do. Therefore, consistent standards are needed so that those taking up automated driving technology can do so with confidence.”

David Williams, ADIG Chairman and Head of Underwriting at AXA said: “Autonomous Vehicles will make our roads much safer, but inappropriate use or marketing of intermediate technology could confuse road users and cause unnecessary accidents. Clarity over system capability and commitment to share vehicle data with insurers will help public confidence, and help rather than hinder development in this area”

The Name Game

The paper also highlights the need for more clarity in how Vehicle Manufacturers give names to assisted driving systems. Shaw continues, “Vehicle Manufacturers should be judicious in badging and marketing such systems, avoiding terms which could be misinterpreted as denoting full autonomy. Hybrid systems which creep into the intermediate grey area between Assisted and Automated should also be avoided.”

Automated Driver Insurer Group (ADIG)

The Automated Driver Insurer Group (ADIG), led by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and Thatcham Research, was formed in 2016 to consider key issues relating to automated driving on UK roads, particularly concerning insurance and liability. The Group feeds in to ABI policy as well as work with the Government on shaping the future of automated vehicle use in the UK.Companies represented on the Group include AXA, Admiral, Ageas, Allianz, Aviva, Co-operative Insurance, Covea, Direct Line Group, esure, LV=, RSA, Zurich and the Lloyd’s Market.

Source: Thatcham Research

The trial demonstrated vehicles interacting directly with pedestrians’ and cyclists’ mobile phones providing early-warning collision detection and alerts via an application installed on their mobiles.

The technology was tested using some common scenarios that occur every day in Australia – a car and a cyclist approaching a blind corner, a car reversing out of a driveway, and a car approaching a pedestrian crossing.

Chief Technology Officer Håkan Eriksson said that Telstra’s Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) project, which includes Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) in addition to V2P, seeks to make Australian roads safer, more efficient, and better-prepared for the future of autonomous vehicles.

Telstra was one of the recipients from the first round of the South Australian Government’s $10 million Future Mobility Lab Fund, to boost local testing, research and development of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies.

Telstra, Cohda Wireless and the South Australia Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure are all partners of the Australian Driverless Vehicle Initiative (ADVI), a partnership of government, industry and academic partners working collaboratively to research, investigate and help inform the development of robust national policy, legislation, regulation and operational procedures and processes to bring driverless vehicles safely and successfully to Australian roads.

Source: Telstra

Australian governments are taking steps to move to a new era of mobility, with today’s launch of national guidelines for trials of automated vehicles.

Guidelines for trials of automated vehicles in Australia is a joint publication of the National Transport Commission (NTC) and Austroads. The guidelines support state and territory road agencies in providing exemptions or permits for trials, and give greater certainty to industry on conditions for trials.

Chief Executive of the NTC Paul Retter said the guidelines were designed to be flexible and easy for industry to use, to support trials across Australia.

“We have worked closely with vehicle manufacturers, technology developers and federal, state and territory governments to ensure our approach to trials is nationally-consistent and reflects best practice,” Mr Retter said.

“With a range of different environmental conditions, a receptive population and now guidelines for the safe conduct of trials, Australia has the potential to become a global testing and innovation hub for automated vehicles.”

Industry will have enormous flexibility in the type of trials that can be run – they simply need to address some key issues. These include having:

• a clear scope of operations,
• a safety management plan that addresses risks, and
• appropriate insurance.

Trialling organisations will also need to provide data from trials to road transport agencies, including details of any crashes.

“This approach allows industry to innovate – they just need to demonstrate that they are managing the risks, including any risk to other road users,” Mr Retter said.

State and territory governments are also reviewing their exemption powers to ensure that they have appropriate powers to support trials.

Nick Koukoulas, Chief Executive of Austroads, said the guidelines draw on international best practice and have a strong focus on safety.

“By establishing a performance-based framework to support on-road trials, these guidelines aim to assure the Australian community that roads are being used safely,” Mr Koukoulas said.

“We’re looking forward to the Australian public getting a first-hand view of the benefits of these new and emerging technologies.”

The release of these guidelines is the first stage of the NTC’s reform roadmap to support the deployment of automated vehicles. Ministers agreed to this roadmap in November 2016, which includes a series of reforms to develop an end-to-end regulatory system for eventual commercial deployment of automated vehicles.

Source: National Transport Comission, Australia

The technology company Continental is in the development of systems and solutions designed for automated driving will free up time for drivers to engage in non-driving-related tasks while behind the wheel. As the international legal framework currently stands, however, this scenario is a long way off. Continental welcomes the discussion initiated by the G7 countries aimed at developing a standardized legal framework, but calls for international regulations. The experts at the company also recommend the development of reliable radio networks for sharing data among the vehicles and infrastructure as well as clear rules for ensuring unambiguous dialog between cars and drivers in challenging traffic situations.

Automated driving opens up a range of possibilities for drivers

Traffic data from other vehicles or infrastructural systems, road users otherwise hidden around bends or behind crests in the road can be detected early on.To ensure greater road safety, therefore, Continental is urging the implementation of an exclusive bandwidth of 5.9 GHz for road traffic as soon as possible.

Focus remains on drivers and passengers

With automated driving, it must also be ensured that everyone knows exactly who is responsible for what and when. In addition to its own work on these handover scenarios, the technology company also wants to see a legal framework designed to ensure that drivers are prompted via at least two senses – sight and hearing. To ensure that drivers are informed sufficiently in advance when the vehicle is driving itself, the vehicle electronics have to know what the driver is currently doing. Even if the driver is engaged in non-driving-related tasks, dialog with the driver can be adapted so that they are ready sufficiently in advance to take control of the wheel again.

Towns and cities also have to be “upgraded” over the long term

Towns and cities also have to be readied for automation. By sharing data with vehicles, smart traffic lights, for example, will be capable of changing their behavior in line with traffic density. An interconnected infrastructure that communicates with vehicles will help us to escape from the digital dead-end of the urban infrastructure and will act as another data highway for enhanced safety and comfort.

The ball is in the legislator’s court

The rapid global development of automated technology for road traffic means that legislators are required to respond as a matter of ever-increasing urgency. Clarifying liability issues, putting in place state-of-the-art structures and approving tested products are the final hurdles on the road toward automated driving. As soon as a clear and unambiguous legal basis has been formulated at international level, it will not be long before drivers can start enjoying the new range of functions and features. fully automated driving is expected to be a viable proposition from 2025 onward.

Scource: Continental

The European Parliament’s legal affairs committee has passed a draft report outlining a framework for regulation of the use and creation of robots and artificial intelligence.

While covering the wider field of robotics and AI, a section of the report is particularly pertinent to autonomous cars:

‘The future legislative instrument should provide for the application as a rule of strict liability to damage caused by ‘smart robots’, requiring only proof of a causal link between the harmful behaviour of the robot and the damage suffered by the injured party.’

‘An obligatory insurance scheme, which could be based on the obligation of the producer to take out insurance for the autonomous robots it produces, should be established.’

‘The insurance system should be supplemented by a fund in order to ensure that damages can be compensated for in cases where no insurance cover exists.’

The report additionally recommends the creation of a legal status for robots similar to corporate personhood, the formation of a European agency for robotics and AI and codes of ethical conduct and licences for designers and users.

The full report can be found here.

Adam Jefferson

The Department for Transport (DfT) is working on a code of practice and regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles in the UK.

Transport minister John Hayes told the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee that the implementation of autonomous and connected vehicles should not be left to the manufacturers that develop them.

Hayes said: “We have to try to establish a regulatory framework to allow us to take advantage of the opportunities they have to offer, while not assuming that those who develop the technology will be motivated in the first instances by virtue.”

The DfT code of practice will set out recommendations for how automated vehicles will be tested in the UK. It has already injected £19 million into automated projects in Milton Keynes, Coventry, Bristol and Greenwich.

The Government also has a £100m Intelligent Mobility Fund to aid similar projects. The autumn statement recently earmarked £23 billion to be spent on transport innovation and infrastructure over the next five years, including £2bn per year by 2020 for research and development funding.

The DfT has also started a three-year project around behavioural change and public engagement which was commissioned in February this year. The first report on this will be available in the new year.

The committee meeting was also attended by leading academics in human behaviour and autonomous vehicles. Natasha Merat, professor in human factors of Transport Systems, Institute for Transport Studies (ITS), University of Leeds, said experts in her field don’t expect fully autonomous vehicles to be in use in the UK until at least 2075.

There are five levels of autonomy the industry refers to (see panel). Level 2 technology is already available in vehicles in the UK and Merat said there is a desire for manufacturers to move to level 3, but some OEMs have told her they want to skip straight to level 4.

Merat said: “I must stress that it is very much about prototypes and testing on a small scale. We are at least five years away from being able to sit in these [level 3 and 4] cars as a car buyer.

“Some of my colleagues are talking about 2075 before we will realistically have access to level 5 vehicles on the road.”

Merat said the sensor and camera technology is “not there”.

She continued: “Manufacturers are researching how long will it take for the driver to take back control in an emergency. It’s a massive challenge.”

Andy Graham, White Willow director and ITS UK consultant, said due to the majority of accidents involving human error it was likely automated vehicles will have a positive effect in the future. However, he said there is a lack of research on how vehicles will hand back control to drivers in the event of an emergency and how often that situation would occur.

Sarah Sharples, professor of human factors, faculty of engineering, Nottingham University, said one of the most important things to understand is how increasing levels of autonomy in the driving task will affect being able to respond to an emergency situation and maintaining vigilance.

“Work is being done on how we develop display to help drivers maintain situational awareness,” she said. Sharples also urged caution around the unintended consequences of introducing automation into the driving task, and added: “If we are introducing automation do we lose the capability to maintain driving skills?”

She suggested passing a driving test would still be mandatory in the future and that it would have to include elements around automation.

Source: Fleet News

In comments to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) proposed rules for self-driving cars, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) welcomes the agency’s federal role in providing oversight and guidance to states, a smart approach in avoiding a patchwork of local laws that might impede the technology development process and unnecessarily delay the adoption of life-saving innovations. CTA’s comments support the aspects of the NHTSA policy that promote innovation and set clear, rational “rules of the road” for vehicle testing and development, including:

• Clarification of the state and federal responsibilities with respect to automated vehicles;
• NHTSA’s call for clear and consistent state laws and regulations that do not impinge on the agency’s authority with respect to vehicle safety and performance; and
• NHTSA’s commitment to use its regulatory tools to facilitate the development, adoption and mass deployment of self-driving vehicles, as well as the agency’s proposal to expand its statutory exemption authority.

“Keeping pace with consumer expectations requires a balanced framework that recognizes the important roles that technology development plays in advancing safety,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. “With the appropriate regulatory framework in place, and properly balanced between states and the federal government, we can dramatically reduce crashes caused by human error and eliminate 90 percent of traffic fatalities. We need uniformity across state lines and rules that keep pace with technological progress to make sure life-saving innovations can be tested and deployed quickly.”

However, CTA is most concerned about NHTSA’s suggestion of the possible introduction of pre-market approval for highly-automated vehicles. CTA also questions the application of NHTSA’s Vehicle Performance Guidance to “less-automated” vehicles (e.g., SAE levels L1-L2), as well the policy’s overbroad data sharing recommendations and discussion of possible post-sale authority to regulate software updates, among other provisions.

CTA’s comments highlight the transformative role that automated driving technologies can play in enhancing safety, increasing efficiency, expanding mobility and reducing costs. CTA research shows that U.S. consumers are eager to experience these benefits: 62 percent of U.S. consumers are interested in replacing their current cars or trucks with self-driving vehicles, and 70 percent have a strong interest in test driving one, according to the study CTA Self-Driving Vehicles: Consumer Sentiments.

Source: BusinessWire

Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communications and solutions enable the exchange of information between vehicles and much more — people (V2P), such as bicyclists and pedestrians for alerts, vehicles (V2V) for collision avoidance, infrastructure (V2I) such as roadside devices for timing and prioritization, and the network (V2N) for real time traffic routing and other cloud travel services. The goal of V2X is to improve road safety, increase the efficiency of traffic, reduce environmental impacts and provide additional traveler information services. 5G Americas, the industry trade association and voice of 5G and LTE for the Americas, today announced the publication of a technical whitepaper titled V2X Cellular Solutions that details new connected car opportunities for the cellular and automotive industries.

“LTE cellular technology can be an important enabler for a best-in-class vehicle connectivity solution,” stated Chris Pearson, President of 5G Americas. “A global LTE footprint and technology standards, combined with future-proof evolution, are enablers for Cellular V2X on the road to success in achieving the goals established for safety, information, ecology, maintenance and security, as well as entertainment, in the connected car of the future.”

Safety and congestion are the two biggest problems on our roadways today. Tens of thousands of people died on U.S. roadways last year, with a global figure higher than 1.2 million deaths (World Health Organization, 2015) and damages cost the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars and worldwide about US $1 trillion per year (Rocky Mountain Institute, 2016). Traffic congestion costs billions of gallons of wasted fuel each year, 3.1 billion gallons in the U.S. (Texas Transportation Institute, 2015), and a greater impact on the economy due to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation contributes 14 percent of the emissions causing global warming (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2014). V2X services are a potential solution to address many of these global concerns.

The whitepaper describes the benefits that Cellular V2X (C-V2X) can provide to support the U.S. Department of Transportation objectives of improving safety and reducing vehicular crashes. Cellular V2X can also be instrumental in transforming the transportation experience by enhancing traveler and traffic information for societal goals.

Chris Pearson added, “Cellular V2X will lead us into the future of a fully connected car experience. The vehicle can be supported by advanced services from the mobile network providing a safer, more efficient and enjoyable driving experience while having a positive impact on society.”

C-V2X is part of the 3GPP specifications in Release 14. 3GPP announced the completion of the initial C-V2X standard in September 2016. There is a robust evolutionary roadmap for C-V2X towards 5G with a strong ecosystem in place. C-V2X will be a key technology enabler for the safer, more autonomous vehicle of the future.

The whitepaper was written by members of 5G Americas and is available for free download on the 5G Americas website. Co-leaders of the white paper working group are DeWayne Sennett of AT&T and Michaela Vanderveen of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Source: Marketwired

California will allow companies more leeway in testing self-driving cars on public roads while restricting how the nascent technology is advertised under revised draft regulations released on Friday 30th of September.

In one of the biggest changes, the new regulations would allow for the absence of a driver in some instances, provided there is two-way communication with the vehicle.

The original draft regulations by the Department of Motor Vehicles were criticized by some tech companies, such as Alphabet Inc’s Google, and carmakers as being overly restrictive and stifling innovation. Moreover, disabled groups complained that the requirement of a driver in the car hurt the very people that autonomous vehicles would most benefit.

California has been at the forefront of the fast-growing autonomous vehicle industry, fueled by technology companies in Silicon Valley, and is one of a handful of states to have passed regulations enabling self-driving car testing on public roads.

Currently, 15 companies have permits to drive autonomous vehicles on public roads in the state provided there is a licensed driver in the car.

Now, carmakers will have to certify that they have met a 15-step safety assessment issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That safety assurance means self-driving cars will no longer be required to be tested by a third-party, as in the original proposal.

The changes also prohibit advertising semi-autonomous systems like enhanced cruise control and lane-assist systems using terms like “autonomous” or “self-driving.” The systems help steer and keep vehicles in lanes but still require a human to remain engaged.

Such partially autonomous systems, which transfer control of the vehicle between the driver and the car and vice versa, have come under scrutiny since a May fatality involving a Tesla Motors Inc driver using the company’s Autopilot semi-autonomous system.

Some consumer groups and others have criticized the Silicon Valley electric car maker for the choice of the name Autopilot, which could suggest that the technology does not require a driver’s intervention.

The draft regulations face a new period of public comment before being finalized.

Source: Reuters

The U.S. Department of Transportation is issuing Federal policy for automated vehicles, laying a path for the safe testing and deployment of new auto technologies that have enormous potential for improving safety and mobility for Americans on the road.

“Automated vehicles have the potential to save thousands of lives, driving the single biggest leap in road safety that our country has ever taken,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This policy is an unprecedented step by the federal government to harness the benefits of transformative technology by providing a framework for how to do it safely.”

The policy sets a proactive approach to providing safety assurance and facilitating innovation through four key parts. Vehicle performance guidance uses a 15-point Safety Assessment to set clear expectations for manufacturers developing and deploying automated vehicle technologies. Model state policy delineates the Federal and State roles for the regulation of highly automated vehicle technologies as part of an effort to build a consistent national framework of laws to govern self-driving vehicles. Finally, the policy outlines options for the further use of current federal authorities to expedite the safe introduction of highly automated vehicles into the marketplace, as well as discusses new tools and authorities the federal government may need as the technology evolves and is deployed more widely.

“Ninety-four percent of crashes on U.S. roadways are caused by a human choice or error,” said NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind. “We are moving forward on the safe deployment of automated technologies because of the enormous promise they hold to address the overwhelming majority of crashes and save lives.”

The Federal Automated Vehicle Policy released today is a product of significant public input and stakeholder discussions, including two open public meetings this year and an open public docket for comments. The Department is also soliciting additional public comments for the next 60 days on the policy, which is published at www.transportation.gov/AV. Through a series of next steps and in response to public comments, DOT intends to update the policy annually.

“Public input has been essential to getting this right. There has been a strong call from state and local governments, industry, safety experts, mobility advocates, and average Americans to establish a clear policy for the deployment of automated vehicles on our roads,” said Secretary Foxx. “There are huge upsides and significant challenges that come with automated vehicle technology, and we will continue the conversation with the public over the coming months and years as this technology develops.”

Moving beyond the traditional U.S. auto regulation approach of reactive, post-sale enforcement of safety standards, the policy is a proactive measure. A March 2016 study by DOT’s Volpe notes that current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards do not directly address automated vehicle technologies. Those standards can take many years to develop and are traditionally only put into force after new technologies have made significant market penetration. Instead, the automated vehicle policy envisions greater transparency as DOT works with manufacturers to ensure that safety is appropriately addressed on the front-end of development.

“New technologies developed in the 20th century, like seat belts and air bags, were once controversial but have now saved hundreds of thousands of American lives,” Secretary Foxx said. “This is the first in a series of proactive approaches, including the release of a rule on Vehicle to Vehicle communications, which will bring lifesaving technologies to the roads safely and quickly while leaving innovators to dream up new safety solutions.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSYjxXfdBcs&w=360&h=260?rel=0]

More details about the policy may be found at www.transportation.gov/AV. A summary of each section of the policy follows:

• 15 Point Safety Assessment –The Vehicle Performance Guidance for Automated Vehicles for manufacturers, developers and other organizations includes a 15 point “Safety Assessment” for the safe design, development, testing and deployment of automated vehicles.
• Model State Policy – This section presents a clear distinction between Federal and State responsibilities for regulation of highly automated vehicles, and suggests recommended policy areas for states to consider with a goal of generating a consistent national framework for the testing and deployment of highly automated vehicles.
• NHTSA’s Current Regulatory Tools – This discussion outlines NHTSA’s current regulatory tools that can be used to ensure the safe development of new technologies, such as interpreting current rules to allow for greater flexibility in design and providing limited exemptions to allow for testing of nontraditional vehicle designs in a more timely fashion.
• Modern Regulatory Tools – This discussion identifies new regulatory tools and statutory authorities that policymakers may consider in the future to aid the safe and efficient deployment of new lifesaving technologies.

The primary focus of the policy is on highly automated vehicles, or those in which the vehicle can take full control of the driving task in at least some circumstances. Portions of the policy also apply to lower levels of automation, including some of the driver-assistance systems already being deployed by automakers today.

Simultaneously with this policy, NHTSA is releasing a final enforcement guidance bulletin clarifying how its recall authority will apply to automated vehicle technologies. In particular, it emphasizes that semi-autonomous driving systems that fail to adequately account for the possibility that a distracted or inattentive driver-occupant might fail to retake control of the vehicle in a safety-critical situation may be defined as an unreasonable risk to safety and subject to recall.

The full policy and additional materials can be found at www.transportation.gov/AV.

Source: US DOT