The three phases of vehicle safety
First phase Passive Safety Systems which limit the damage and injuries caused to driver, passengers and pedestrians.
Second phase Active Safety Systems to help prevent and mitigating crash severity.
Third phase AI Safety Systems which have complete situational awareness, drive-by-wire vehicle control and full driving task capability.
Mission Zero 2050
ADA is committed to the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the Safe System approach to road safety to ensure mobility fatalities and injuries are eliminated by 2050.
We’ve now entered the third phase of AI Safety Systems where artificial intelligence software becomes fully aware of the surrounding environment, the traffic situation and the best action to safely execute the desired driving task.
These are new foundations. They open up incredible opportunities to increase safety on our roads. The addition of drive-by-wire vehicle control will enable AI to become our chauffeur, co-driver, guardian & instructor.
Many of the technology innovations in sensors, compute and AI software have be pioneered by investment in the Mobility-as-a-Service sector and the demand in high-income countries for Self-Driving Systems (SDS), Automated Driving Systems (ADS) or autonomous driving.
Yet when 93% of the world's fatalities occur on the roads in low- and middle-income countries it’s clear self-driving systems alone are not a solution to the global mobility epidemic that costs 1.3 million lives each year.
While progress still needs to be made on the global adoption of Passive & Active Safety Systems, to achieve the drastic reduction in road fatalities and serious injuries required to meet the zero target by 2050 we also need to look towards AI Safety Systems.
Vehicles are becoming the robotic embodiment of AI and as such they are bridging two worlds that remain separate in international regulations; vehicle homologation and driver licensing. Traditionally technical standards define vehicle performance and while behavioural standards define driver performance.
Of course, for AI Safety Systems to improve safety on our roads they must actually be proven safe themselves. ADA is advocating for global harmonisation of standards and regulations for all AI Systems deployed on our roads with a particular focus on behavioural standards.
ADA is contributing this debate with the ADA Turing Test. A starting point for a globally accepted minimal performance threshold for AI System behaviour on our roads. With the primary aim of continually ensuring a positive risk balance, compared to human drivers, throughout their operation.
The adoption of AI Safety Systems within future vehicles is just the start of the holistic adoption of AI within the Safe System approach to global road safety.
That’s why ADA is committed to the broader mission of; accelerating the development and adoption of trusted human-centric artificial intelligence, whilst ensuring it’s safe, ethical and equitable deployment on our global roads.
To learn more about ADA’s Road Safety initiatives and get involved reach out and join us on the journey to safer mobility.