Experts gather in Liangjiang to discuss autonomous driving safety solutions

Celine Vallaude, president of the Euro NCAP Board of Directors, delivers a speech at the forum. [Photo by CAERI] 

The "Regulation of the Beijing Municipality on Autonomous Vehicles" will take effect on April 1, paving the way for L3 autonomous driving technology to hit the roads. While intelligent driving vehicles are making their way onto public streets, consumer concerns remain centered on safety and reliability. 

From March 25 to 26, experts from China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co (CAERI) and global NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) organizations convened for an industry discussion in Liangjiang New Area. They shared insights on enhancing intelligent vehicle testing to ensure autonomous driving better serves future mobility. 

Ensuring the safety of autonomous driving presents multiple challenges, said Mark Terrell, chief technology officer of ANCAP. He explained that one of the key issues lies in human-vehicle interaction — specifically, how drivers can clearly understand the vehicle's operational state while it is in autonomous mode.

The issue of human-vehicle interaction is a common focal point for global NCAP organizations. Celine Vallaude, president of the Euro NCAP Board of Directors, also highlighted this concern and how it is addressed in vehicle testing. She noted that Euro NCAP significantly emphasizes the Driver Monitoring System (DMS). The system utilizes in-car cameras and other sensor technologies to monitor the condition of drivers and passengers in real time, providing alerts to prevent driver distraction caused by reliance on autonomous driving.

Autonomous driving also faces safety challenges from complex real-world road conditions. Autonomous systems must navigate interactions with other vehicles and operate effectively in varying weather conditions, such as rain and fog, said Tang Yu, deputy director of the Intelligent Driving and Active Safety Department at CAERI Intelligent Connected Technology Co.

Tang emphasized the need for automotive testing institutions to develop new testing facilities capable of replicating the complexities of real-world traffic conditions. For instance, he explained that a specialized tunnel could be constructed to simulate rain, fog, and different lighting conditions for intelligent driving tests. Inside such a facility, tests could recreate varying rainfall intensities, fluctuating visibility due to fog, and different lighting scenarios, including sunrise, sunset, and nighttime glare.

Michiel Van Ratingen, secretary-general of Euro NCAP, further stressed that it is crucial to assess autonomous driving systems in real-world traffic conditions beyond laboratory-controlled environments. Only through such rigorous testing can the safety and reliability of autonomous driving be fully validated.