Defining Safe Enough for AVs

This week Phil & Junko talk about what it means for Autonomous Vehicle to be safe enough.At a high level, in addition to net statistical safety, acceptable safety also requires an absence of risk hot spots. It’s not about perfection; it’s about acceptably safe:As safe as a human driver on a net statistical basis (accounting for which car, which driver, which road, etc.)Avoiding reckless drivingAvoiding shifting risk onto vulnerable populationsAbsence of unreasonable risk (AUR)Standards conformanceAvoiding negative externalities (e.g., not blocking fire trucks)Accountability for breaking road rulesMeeting all stakeholder safety requirementsA single-metric approach does not work due to multiple stakeholder concerns. A multi-constraint satisfaction approach is the way to go. The bottom line: acceptable safety is meeting the threshold requirements of all your stakeholders.This episode is a follow-on to Phil’s written piece on How Safe Is Really “Safe Enough” for Autonomous Vehicles?