Greater clarity around ADS needed

The industry needs to come together to provide greater clarity around Automated Driving Systems (ADS) to ensure their safe adoption.

That is the view of Thatcham Research and the ABI, who are launching their latest round of automotive industry consultation around Automated Driving at the ABI’s ‘Handing over control? Automated vehicles and the future of motor insurance’ conference today.

Matthew Avery, Director of Research, Thatcham Research will highlight the key tenets of the insurance industry position on the safe adoption of vehicles with automated driving capability.

He said, ‘By 2021, automated driving systems on some new cars could allow motorway drivers to essentially become passengers in their own vehicles. However, there continues to be a worrying lack of clarity around how automated driving should be defined and crucially, the role of the driver when a car is in automated mode.

‘Our position is that driving systems that rely on the driver to maintain safety are not recognised by the insurance industry as being automated.’

The consultation will also cover how ADS must safely hand back control to the driver in certain scenarios. For example, in the event of a system failure the vehicle must be capable of carrying out a managed hand back to the driver or reach ‘safe harbour’ on its own.

To download a copy of the initial ‘Defining Safe Automation: A framework for regulating Automated Driving’ document please click here.

In June, the ABI and Thatcham Research will issue a detailed definition document for international regulators, who are currently formulating technical requirements for ADS. This will contain a framework for defining safe automation and detailed requirements for motorway automation. A series of further frameworks for parking, city and A-roads will also be issued in the near future.