The US’s leading safety body is hoping to fill the gap on information relating to future technology with a voluntary reporting framework related to automated driving systems.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed a voluntary national framework called the AV STEP, for the evaluation and oversight of vehicles equipped with automated driving systems.
The ADS-equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency, and Evaluation Program will be open to all companies that operate or plan to operate compliant ADS-equipped vehicles on US roads.
The AV STEP program will also align with the National Roadway Safety Strategy from 2022 aimed at reaching zero deaths on US roads through a safe system approach, that has already established a requirement for OEMs to report details about crashes involving vehicles equipped with ADS or Level 2 ADAS systems that are in use within 30 seconds of a collision.
Precedents
Higher levels of automation are not yet legal in Australia, so the tracking of crash related data that involves automated driving systems and the more common driver assistance or ADAS systems will set interesting precedents in how Australia adjusts to the technology.
ADAS systems are increasingly prevalent in new Australian cars but the US has made significant use of fully automated driving systems both with tech brands like Tesla and in the pilot introduction of robotaxi services.
However, incidents in the US of technological failure along with crashes that may or may not relate to driver error, mean public confidence in automated driving systems is still uncertain. Accurate and comprehensive date remains one of the gaps.
Data is key
NHTSA Chief Counsel Adam Raviv says the program would promote greater transparency into participating ADS operations and help the agency study and oversee ADS technology as it matures.
“Data are fundamental to NHTSA’s work, and the proposed program would provide NHTSA and the public with greater insight into ADS development and operational data,” he says.
“AV STEP would provide a valuable national framework at a pivotal time in the development of ADS technology. Safe, transparent, and responsible development is critical for this technology to be trusted by the public and reach its full potential. This proposal lays the foundation for those goals and supports NHTSA’s safety mission,”
“This enhanced transparency would promote the responsible development of ADS technology, as well as offer a way for vehicle manufacturers, operators, municipalities, researchers and policymakers to benefit from greater opportunities for public awareness and accelerated learning into the technology.”
Potential minimum standards
“In the future, as ADS technologies mature, NHTSA anticipates there may be a need to establish minimum standards for ADS safety performance, much as NHTSA’s existing FMVSS govern the performance of conventional vehicle systems and attributes,” the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking says.
“However, the data, methods, and metrics to support such standards do not yet exist. Many of the elements included in this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking are intended to help NHTSA obtain insight and data that could, in turn, support the future development of such standards.
“Pending such future developments, AV STEP would serve as a national program built for the evolving state of the technology, offering an interim boost to regulatory oversight and a process for motor vehicle manufacturers and other participants to build public trust by demonstrating a commitment to responsible safety practices, accountability, and transparency.”