The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association wants the Automated Vehicle Transparency and Engagement for Safe Testing Initiative to be mandatory rather than voluntary.
On Monday, June 5, OOIDA submitted comments regarding the AV TEST Initiative. The initiative is an online traffic tool that provides data on testing and safety performance of automated driving systems in cities across the country. However, participation is voluntary, not mandatory, for stakeholders.
In its comments, OOIDA states that although it supports the idea of the AV TEST Initiative, the information provided to the program needs to be mandatory.
“OOIDA supports the objectives of the AV TEST Initiative, most importantly to provide the public with direct and easy access to information about (autonomous vehicle) testing and development, along with information from states regarding activity, legislation, regulations, and local involvement in automation on our roadways, OOIDA President Todd Spencer stated in comments. “However, the AV TEST Initiative’s voluntary structure prevents the program from best accomplishing these goals.”
The Association points out that a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration general standing order from 2021 requires companies to report crashes on public roadways. That order covers 108 autonomous vehicle manufacturers. To date, only 38 entities are listed on the AV TEST Initiative. Those include developers, manufacturers, state/local governments, federal agencies, site operators, trade associations, universities and vehicle operators.
“Only 19 of these particular groups have submitted any sort of information to NHTSA through AV TEST,” OOIDA stated in comments. “Some of this information includes voluntary safety self-assessments or public relations materials rather than actual safety performance data. Furthermore, the program includes just 19 participating states. This shows the voluntary nature of AV TEST has not been effective in producing the necessary safety data to implement informed regulatory policies for autonomous vehicles.”
Launched in June 2020, the AV TEST Initiative provides “the public with direct and easy access to information about testing of (automated driving system)-equipped vehicles, information from states regarding activity, legislation, regulations, local involvement in automation on our roadways, and information provided by companies developing and testing (automated driving systems),” according to its website.
“Moving forward, NHTSA must require mandatory data transparency from manufacturers,” OOIDA states. “This will help educate consumers, the industry, and regulators about the actual reliability and performance of autonomous technology. The reliance on voluntary safety reporting from AV manufacturers will not effectively build public trust, acceptance, and confidence in the testing and deployment of these vehicles and will make it difficult for the agency to properly modify safety regulations.” LL
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