Washington, DC – April 27, 2021 – The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators) today unveiled safety principles to proactively address driver monitoring systems for Level 2 vehicles, in which both lane centering and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) are simultaneously engaged. These features can help save lives by assisting drivers and reducing the potential for human error that could result in a crash. They are not designed to operate independently of a human driver.
“Through these principles, automakers representing nearly 99 percent of the new vehicles sold in the U.S. have made a forceful and public statement on the importance of effective driver monitoring for Level 2 automated systems,” said Auto Innovators President and CEO John Bozzella. “It is critical that consumers learn and understand the benefits—and limitations—of these features to build and improve confidence in these proven safety technologies.
“There is strong and clear interest from our member companies in reiterating the importance of effective driver monitoring systems in Level 2 vehicles to help ensure appropriate driver engagement and improving consumer confidence in driving automation. There is no commercially available ‘self-driving’ car on American roadways today, which means the driver remains the most important factor in any vehicle,” said Bozzella.
“We look forward to working with policymakers and other stakeholders to advance the conversation around Level 2 driver monitoring in a meaningful way,” he added.
The principles outlined by Auto Innovators are focused on driver monitoring systems for purposes of determining or inferring when a driver is not paying sufficient attention to the driving environment. The principles are broken down into several key areas, including consumer information, driver monitoring as a standard feature for Level 2 systems, driver warnings, re-engaging the driver, misuse and abuse, and camera-based systems. They incorporate important recommendations from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Consumer Reports, National Transportation Safety Board, and EuroNCAP.
The principles address areas including:
- Consumer information
- Driver warnings
- Reengaging the driver
- Misuse and abuse
- Camera-based systems
Review all the principles in detail here.