Expert Voices: The case for certifying AVs before they take to the road

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The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

By: Jason Levine, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety

There are currently no performance standards against which manufacturers can self-certify autonomous vehicles, as they do for conventional cars and trucks. Until the adoption of such standards, one way to assess the safety of AVs would be a certification program that includes objective safety criteria, simulations, road tests, and third-party review.

Why it matters: As more AVs are tested on public roads, a third-party certification program could improve public trust, reduce the risks of injury or death, and deliver on industry safety promises — ultimately advancing the technology and its adoption.

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Background: Gated certification programs — with approval “gates” to pass through at each development step — are already used to issue licenses to regular and commercial drivers, pilots and maritime operators.

  • Existing programs require demonstrating physical capabilities, knowledge of relevant rules, training time, experience accumulated during a trial period (as with a learner’s permit), and success on a final exam…

Click here to read the full commentary from Axios.

Find out more about autonomous vehicle safety in our AV Consumer Bill of Rights.