Thatcham Research and the ABI have embarked on the latest round of automotive industry consultation around automated driving with the publication of a new ‘Defining Safe Automation’ document.

Thatcham Research and the ABI have published a new Defining Safe Automation’ document

Presented this week at the ABI’s ‘Handing over control? Automated vehicles and the future of motor insurance’ conference, the document sets out the insurer position on the safe introduction of automated driving.

Thatcham’s director of research Matthew Avery, who spoke at the event, 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 an Automated Driving System 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 2019, the ABI and Thatcham Research will issue a detailed definition document for International Regulators, who are currently formulating technical requirements for Automated Driving Systems. 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.