Last Updated on March 22, 2023 by Ossian Muscad
As autonomous vehicles continue to make their way onto public roads, it’s essential to understand the safety implications of these driverless cars. Autonomous vehicle safety is a rapidly evolving field, and there are many unknowns regarding how safe autonomous vehicles will be compared to human-driven ones.
This guide aims to provide an overview of autonomous vehicle safety so you can better understand what autonomous vehicles mean for the future of driving. We’ll cover topics such as autonomous vehicle technology, regulations, and ethical considerations. In the end, you should understand autonomous vehicle safety and its implications for the future.
What is an Autonomous Vehicle?
Autonomous vehicles are cars that can drive themselves without any human intervention. Instead, they use a combination of sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence to detect the environment around them and navigate accordingly.
Autonomous vehicles have been developing for the past decade, but recently they’ve gained lots of attention as companies such as Tesla have started testing them on public roads. At the same time, It has become a major topic of discussion, as many are concerned about the implications of these autonomous cars on public safety.
What is Autonomous Vehicle Safety?
Autonomous vehicle safety is the measure of how safe autonomous vehicles are when compared to human-driven ones. This can be tricky to evaluate, as autonomous vehicles are still relatively new, and we don’t yet fully understand their capabilities. In general, autonomous vehicle safety is evaluated in two ways: through data from autonomous vehicle testing and through observation of autonomous vehicles on public roads.
Data from autonomous vehicle tests can help us understand how autonomous vehicles respond to different driving situations and their reliability when avoiding collisions. Observations from autonomous vehicles on public roads can give us an understanding of the autonomous vehicles’ performance and how they interact with their environment.
That being said, autonomous vehicle safety is still an evolving field, and we don’t know much. We do know, however, that autonomous vehicles have the potential to be much safer than human-driven ones, as autonomous vehicles don’t get distracted or make mistakes due to human error.
The Different Levels of Autonomous Vehicles
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has established a classification system for autonomous vehicles, widely used in the automotive industry. The SAE classification system defines six levels of autonomy, which are as follows:
- Level 0: No Automation – The driver is in complete control of the vehicle, and no automation is present.
- Level 1: Driver Assistance – The vehicle has some automated features, such as adaptive cruise control or lane departure warning. However, the driver is still responsible for the majority of driving tasks.
- Level 2: Partial Automation – The vehicle has advanced automated features like lane centering or automatic parking. However, the driver is still responsible for monitoring the driving environment and is expected to take over control if necessary.
- Level 3: Conditional Automation – The vehicle can operate autonomously in certain conditions, such as on a highway. However, the driver is expected to take over control when the vehicle encounters situations it cannot handle.
- Level 4: High Automation – The vehicle can operate autonomously in most situations and does not require human intervention. However, the driver may still be able to take control if necessary.
- Level 5: Full Automation – The vehicle is fully autonomous and does not require any human intervention. There is no need for a steering wheel, pedals, or other driving controls.
Not all vehicles currently on the market fit into one of these categories, and the classification system is constantly evolving as technology advances. However, the SAE classification system provides a useful framework for understanding the different levels of autonomy in vehicles.
What is an Autonomous Vehicle Safety Checklist?
An autonomous vehicle safety checklist is a guide used to assess autonomous vehicles’ safety. This checklist includes a number of items that need to be evaluated before autonomous vehicles can be certified as safe to operate on public roads.
With an autonomous vehicle safety checklist, autonomous vehicles can be evaluated on their ability to detect and respond to obstacles, their ability to handle complex driving scenarios, and the reliability of their autonomous systems. At the same time, autonomous vehicle safety checklists also consider how autonomous vehicles interact with the environment, such as other vehicles and pedestrians.
Who Uses an Autonomous Vehicle Safety Checklist?
A range of stakeholders, including the following, typically uses autonomous vehicle safety checklists:
Manufacturers
Autonomous vehicle manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that their vehicles meet certain safety standards before they are deployed on public roads. Safety checklists help manufacturers identify potential safety risks and ensure their vehicles meet safety requirements.
Regulators
Regulatory bodies, such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US, use safety checklists to evaluate autonomous vehicles’ safety and determine whether they are suitable for deployment on public roads. These organizations also use safety checklists to establish safety regulations and standards for autonomous vehicles.
Testing Organizations
Testing organizations, such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), use safety checklists to evaluate the safety of autonomous vehicles during testing and development. These organizations may also use safety checklists to provide safety ratings for autonomous cars.
Items to Include in an Autonomous Vehicle Safety Checklist
An autonomous vehicle safety checklist ensures that the vehicle meets certain safety standards and that potential safety risks have been identified and addressed. With that said, here are some items that may be included in an autonomous vehicle safety checklist:
Functional Safety
- The vehicle’s software and hardware must be designed and tested to ensure that it meets the necessary functional safety standards.
- Identify and mitigate potential safety hazards, such as hardware and software failures.
- Confirm that the autonomous vehicle can detect and respond to obstacles in its path.
- Confirm that the autonomous vehicle can handle complex driving scenarios like merging, turning, and stopping.
- Confirm that the autonomous vehicle has reliable autonomous systems.
Sensor Validation
- The vehicle’s sensors, including cameras, radar, and lidar, must be tested and validated to ensure they function correctly.
- The sensors provide accurate data to the vehicle’s control systems.
- Validate that autonomous systems can interpret and understand data from the sensors.
- Validate that the autonomous system can detect and respond to obstacles in its path.
Risk Assessment
- Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify potential safety risks
- Ensure that appropriate risk mitigation measures have been implemented.
- Confirm that autonomous systems can detect and respond to obstacles in their path.
- Confirm that autonomous systems can handle complex driving scenarios like merging, turning, and stopping.
Cybersecurity
- Test the vehicle’s software and hardware to ensure they are secure against cyber-attacks.
- Check and verify that the vehicle’s software cannot be easily hacked or compromised.
- Confirm that autonomous systems are protected from malicious attacks like malware and ransomware.
- Ensure that autonomous systems can detect and respond to unauthorized access attempts.
Human-Machine Interface
- Check if the vehicle’s user interface design is clear, functional, and easy to use.
- Ensure the UI provides users with the necessary information to safely operate the vehicle.
- Confirm that autonomous systems can detect and respond to driver input.
- Ensure that autonomous systems are designed to be intuitive and easy to use.
- Confirm that autonomous systems can provide the necessary feedback to drivers.
Emergency Procedures
- Equip the vehicle with emergency procedures and fail-safes that can be activated in a system failure or other emergency.
- Ensure that autonomous systems can detect and respond to emergencies.
- Confirm that autonomous systems can alert drivers of potential hazards and provide the necessary guidance to resolve the situation.
- Ensure that autonomous systems can detect and respond to hazardous conditions.
Regulatory Compliance
- The vehicle must comply with all relevant regulations and standards, including safety, cybersecurity, and data privacy.
- An autonomous vehicle safety checklist is essential for ensuring that autonomous vehicles are safe and reliable and can be deployed on public roads confidently. Manufacturers can ensure that their autonomous vehicles meet the highest safety standards by following a comprehensive safety checklist.
Create Autonomous Vehicle Safety Checklists Using a Low-code Platform
If you want to create autonomous vehicle safety checklists quickly and efficiently, consider using a low-code platform. Low-code platforms allow for rapid development, allowing you to create autonomous vehicle safety checklists quickly and easily. DATAMYTE is a quality management platform with low-code capabilities allowing you to quickly create checklists without coding.
The DataMyte Digital Clipboard, in particular, is a low-code workflow automation software that features a checklist builder. This tool lets you create comprehensive autonomous vehicle safety checklists in minutes.
To create a checklist or form template using DATAMYTE, follow these steps:
- Log in to the DATAMYTE software platform and navigate to the Checklist module.
- Click on “Create Checklist” to create a new checklist.
- Define the title of the checklist and the category in which it belongs.
- Use DATAMYTE’s low-code capabilities by adding items to the checklist; click “Add Item.” You can define the description of the item, the type of answer required, and any other specifications, such as reference documents, acceptance criteria, or limits.
- Assign appropriate personnel responsible for completing the checklist and any required approvals, such as supervisors or quality assurance personnel.
- Save the checklist, and it will be available for use.
DATAMYTE also lets you conduct layered process audits, a high-frequency assessment of critical process steps, focusing on the areas with the highest risk of failure or non-compliance. By conducting LPA with DATAMYTE, you can effectively identify and correct defects before they become major quality issues.
With DATAMYTE, you have an all-in-one solution for creating and implementing autonomous vehicle safety checklists. Book a demo with our team today to learn how DATAMYTE can help you ensure the safety of your autonomous vehicles.
Conclusion
Autonomous vehicle safety is essential for the safe deployment and operation of autonomous vehicles. By following a comprehensive autonomous vehicle safety checklist, manufacturers can ensure that autonomous vehicles are safe and reliable. In addition, low-code platforms, such as DATAMYTE, provide an efficient solution for creating autonomous vehicle safety checklists. Get started today!
