PAVE Statement on Safe Public Road Testing and Nomenclature

Automated vehicles offer great potential for improving roadway safety, but it is critical to develop this technology in a safe and responsible way. Public road testing is a serious responsibility and using untrained consumers to validate beta-level software on public roads is dangerous and inconsistent with existing guidance and industry norms. Moreover, it is extremely important to clarify the line between driver assistance and autonomy. Systems requiring human driver oversight are not self-driving and should not be called self-driving.

NHTSA guidance encouraging “the self-establishment of industry safety norms for Automated Driving Systems” [PDF]: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/13069a-ads2.0_090617_v9a_tag.pdf

SAE Guidelines for Safe On-Road Testing of SAE Level 3, 4, and 5 Prototype Automated Driving Systems: https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j3018_201503/

AAA study on the Impact of Information on Consumer Understanding of a Partially Automated Driving System: https://aaafoundation.org/impact-of-information-on-consumer-understanding-of-a-partially-automated-driving-system/

Autonowashing: The Greenwashing of Vehicle Automation by Liza Dixon: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198220300245