Autonomous Vehicle L5 crash

L1 for assistant, L2 for control functions. AEB belongs to L2 but is often a user-open function (on/off). If AEB enabled the car keeps a sum of response time distance plus braking distance. If the driver or another car reduces the AEB-distance an LED sign flashes as the AEB assistant is 'violated' and cannot assure AEB. The car gives back the responsibility.

As traffic is sometimes so tight drivers emotionally suffer by getting the impression of 'losing' as the car reduces speed to extend distance for 'full' AEB. A fraction of a second later another car cuts in and the 'losing-process' restarts. Drivers dont like to lose. These are subjective observations of our team.

AEB Automatic Emergency Brakeing

As AV's are developed and are released for public consumption, laws will have to be put into place prior. I know the State of Ohio starting in 2016 was already tasking members of their highway patrol to look at the possibilities and draft ideas for laws.

What I believe will happen is, AV's will require a licensed driver to be in the "driver's seat" to assume control in case of a system failure. That way if the human eye catches something the AV does not, the "driver" will be able to take corrective action. The "driver" will ultimately be held responsible for the accident. If there is a system failure that caused the accident, then there will be a lawsuit involving the company if basic maintenance that should have been done by the owner of the AV is not an issue. Not much is going to change as far as liability. The lawyers will see to that.

I do not see in the immediate AV future that people are going to be riding in vehicles totally oblivious to the traffic outside while drinking their grande soy non-fat frappuccino while Facetiming their BFF's. The lawyers and lobbyists will make sure there will be someone their to face the liability for the wreck before having to take on the corporate machine that created them. Look at how many wrecks occurred before the Ford and Firestone controversy became news leading to the TREAD Act in Congress.

If the government was smart, they would require AV's to have locally stored information (like a black box) that would document what was going on with the AV at the time of the wreck.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

L1 for assistant, L2 for control functions. AEB belongs to L2 but is often a user-open function (on/off). If AEB enabled the car keeps a sum of response time distance plus braking distance. If the driver or another car reduces the AEB-distance an LED sign flashes as the AEB assistant is 'violated' and cannot assure AEB. The car gives back the responsibility.

As traffic is sometimes so tight drivers emotionally suffer by getting the impression of 'losing' as the car reduces speed to extend distance for 'full' AEB. A fraction of a second later another car cuts in and the 'losing-process' restarts. Drivers dont like to lose. These are subjective observations of our team.

AEB Automatic Emergency Brakeing

Research to date has shown AEBS available at Assisted Level 1.

So in this Tesla case you mentioned in Switzerland the vehicle was using AEBS as under Automated Level 2?

The Tesla S autopilot was classified between L2 and L3 in the mentioned case. Swiss traffic law says Both hands on the steering wheel.

https://translate.google.ch/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nzz.ch%2Fpanorama%2Ftesla-fahrer-will-nach-unfall-milderes-urteil-ld.1334364&edit-text=

The Tesla S autopilot was classified between L2 and L3 in the mentioned case. Swiss traffic law says Both hands on the steering wheel.

https://translate.google.ch/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nzz.ch%2Fpanorama%2Ftesla-fahrer-will-nach-unfall-milderes-urteil-ld.1334364&edit-text=

I read the news article thanks, but I did not see the wording L2, L3, etc. Has something been lost in translation?

2016 - https://www.dropbox.com/s/1a8arv194b993cw/FS%20CLassific%20%26%20Definition%20Levels.jpg

No, Tesla S with autopilot is L2-L3 classified in the U.S. (NHTSA).

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2016/INCLA-PE16007-7876.PDF

Manufacturer Tesla Motors, Inc.
Products MY2014-2016 Tesla Model S and Model X

Problem Description The Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) or Autopilot systems may not function as designed, increasing the risk of a crash.

4.0 HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE
4.1 Automation Level. The Tesla Autopilot system is a Level 1 automated system when operated with TACC enabled and a Level 2 system when Autosteer is also activated. Figure 3 shows a summary of the levels of driving automation for on-road vehicles, including the division of responsibility at each level for the driver and system.11 Level 1 and 2 system require continuous attention by the operator to monitor the driving environment and take immediate control when necessary. It is important that operators recognize this responsibility and understand the capabilities and limitations of the system

Set aside for a moment the local Laws (and their classifications of vehicles) the base points are IMHO
1) is the "autopilot engagement" automatic or optional?
2) if it is optional and decided by the driver were ALL conditions prescribed for the engagement fulfilled?
3) what is the failover or fallback provision?
4) if the failover/fallback provision is the disengagement of the "autopilot", which kind of visual, acoustic and sensorial warnings are given? and in how much time the switch is supposed to happen?

Let's think of what we already know and have some experience with, the auto-pilot in large, commercial aircrafts.

These are operated by two highly trained professionals, still the amount of accidents when the autopilot was accidentally disengaged (by the pilot or by a lesser known procedure of the system) or the warnings requiring to take manual control were not early enough (or not loud/clear enough) to allow the pilots to take control have been historically common enough.
In most, if not all of these cases the responsibility was given to the pilots or to lacks in their attention or training.

And usually on planes we are talking of several seconds available.

So my guess is that until the system will be not only completely automatic, a but also not in any way under control of the driver (think of a car without pedals and steering wheel) one way or the other the driver will be held responsible.

jaclaz

Good aspects mentioned. Audi A8 AI alerts 10 seconds all-sensors and then stops the car and starts emergency-flashing. Driver Readyness DR is a precondition to takeback.

DOI 10.1145/3025171.3025199

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314519062_Driver_Readiness_Model_for_Regulating_the_Transfer_from_Automation_to_Human_Control

Interesting article….

A Plane Lesson for Driverless Cars

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-02/lessons-for-driverless-cars-from-safety-obsessed-airlines