On Wednesday, the US government launched a new online tool designed to provide the public with information on where and who is testing automated vehicle technology across the country.
The official name of the online tool - Automated Vehicle Transparency and Engagement for Safe Testing Initiative Tracking Tool - is a slang mess of a word salad. Fortunately, its mechanics are simple. The online tool offers users the ability to find information on automated vehicle road tests in 17 US cities. The public can find information about a company's road tests and safety performance, the number of vehicles in its fleet, and the legislation or policy relating to AV vehicles in specific states.
The AV Tracking Tool is part of the Automated Vehicle Transparency and Engagement for Safe Testing initiative, called AV TEST for short, announced in June. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is overseeing the AV TEST initiative.
The online tool is by no means complete, but it is a start and continues to expand. The tool currently displays data in 17 cities, including Austin, Columbus (Ohio), Dallas, Denver, Jacksonville, Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. The data could include test activities and dates, frequency, number of vehicles and routes, NHTSA said.
The information on the interactive webpage is based on information that companies have voluntarily offered. In other words, companies that test automated vehicle technology are not required by the federal government to provide data.
However, a growing number of AV founders and engineers understand that public education and acceptance will be needed if they hope to commercially implement their technology. Ten companies and nine states have already joined as participants in the voluntary web pilot. The participating companies to date are Beep, Cruise, EasyMile, FCA, LM Industries, Navya, Nuro, Toyota, Waymo and Uber Advanced Technologies Group. The online tool also contains safety reports submitted voluntarily by Aurora, Ike, Kodiak, Lyft, TuSimple and Zoox.
The NHTSA has limited the number of companies submitting data during the pilot phase, Dr Joseph M. Kolly, the agency's chief security scientist, said Wednesday at a briefing.
"The more information the public has about the road testing of automated driving systems, the more they will understand the development of this promising technology," NHTSA Deputy Director James Owens said in a statement. "Automated driving systems are not yet available for sale to the public and the AV TEST initiative will help improve public understanding of the potential and limitations of the technology as it continues to develop."
