AVSC Best Practice for Passenger-Initiated Emergency Trip Interruption

As passengers take rides in fleet-managed automated driving system-dedicated vehicles (ADS-DVs), they may feel the need to interrupt the trip due to a perceived emergency. There is currently no industry consensus on the proper balance between ADS passenger agency and the potential for introducing unexpected outcomes in dynamic traffic environments. In order to build public trust in automated vehicles, passengers should be given an option to exercise some type of control (agency) to intervene during situations they perceive as emergencies. Passenger-initiated emergency trip interruption features — however they manifest in a given vehicle - can help establish this confidence in ADS technologies.

AVSC Best Practice for Passenger-Initiated Emergency Trip Interruption recommends processes surrounding aspects of passenger-initiated features in SAE level 4 and 5 fleet-managed ADS-DVs. It recommends criteria and processes for passenger initiation of these features from inside the vehicle; communication with passengers and fleet operations; enhanced diagnoses of the situation, interaction outside the vehicle with other road users, and general post-stop actions. Also, precautions against some types of foreseeable misuse are addressed. These recommendations apply to commercially available, deployed ADS-DV’s providing trips to people.

The AVSC recommends that every fleet-managed SAE level 4 and 5 ADS-DV be equipped with a (PES) or (PEC) or both.