The General Accounting Office (GAO) has released a new report calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to update its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) to better account for self-driving vehicle technology.
“While NHTSA provides consumers with instructions on partial driver automation systems, there is little information about their intended use or operational limitations.Providing this information will help consumers understand these systems. ,” the GAO said.
March. 28 report This comes as more Americans are purchasing vehicles with self-driving features that allow them to drive without having to take full control of the vehicle. At the same time, GAO said some drivers have only a vague understanding of how self-driving technology works.
“According to stakeholder interviews and research reviewed by GAO, when drivers have a realistic understanding of their vehicle's driving assistance technology, they are more likely to use it as intended,” GAO said. Ta.
“However, there is some evidence that consumers do not always accurately understand the capabilities and limitations of technology,” the watchdog stressed.
The report reveals that new collision prevention technology in cars could reduce the number of fatal car crashes nationwide, which will reach 42,000 in 2022.
“One study found that between 27 and 79 percent of consumers surveyed had incorrect perceptions about the limitations of various collision avoidance technologies installed in their vehicles,” the GAO said. .
“Furthermore, misuse is a safety concern specific to partial driving automation systems, a type of driver assistance system that can take over some of the vehicle's driving tasks but still requires the driver's full attention.” ,” the authorities said.
GAO made the following recommendations to NHTSA to better inform the American public about self-driving vehicle technology.
- NHTSA's website makes available to the public vehicle evaluation information regarding the test conditions and performance criteria used by NHTSA to determine whether a vehicle's collision avoidance technology is eligible for checkmarks on the website.
- Provide detailed information on NHTSA's public website regarding partial driver automation systems, clarifying the scope of their intended use and the driver's responsibility to monitor the system and driving environment while such systems are operating.
- Complete NHTSA's roadmap for NCAP as soon as possible to include updated and realistic short- and long-term timeframes for changes to NCAP.
- Communicate progress toward meeting deadlines established in the agency's roadmap for recommending additional collision avoidance technologies and provide updated milestones and reasons for delays, as appropriate.
- Communicate progress toward achieving deadlines established in the roadmap for evaluating technology and developing a system for redesigning new car stickers, and update milestones and delays as necessary. provide a reason.
