New York City has unveiled a new plan for permitting companies to trial autonomous taxi vehicles on its streets, mandating the presence of a human safety driver at all times.
Times Square, New York, USA. Image credit: Vidar Nordli-Mathisen via Unsplash, free license
In a bid to proactively address concerns surrounding fully autonomous vehicles, the city has established what it terms as a “stringent permitting program.” This initiative aims to ensure that applicants are sufficiently prepared to test their technology in the complex urban landscape of New York City, prioritizing safety and proficiency.
Mayor Eric Adams emphasized the inevitability of autonomous technology’s integration into the city’s transportation system, emphasizing the need to implement it responsibly.
The criteria for obtaining permits would require prior experience in autonomous vehicle testing, with companies mandated to supply data from previous trials, including incident reports and the frequency of safety driver interventions, commonly referred to as “disengagements.”
A notable stipulation of the new regulations is the exclusion of fully driverless vehicles from testing on public roads within the city limits. Instead, only vehicles equipped with safety drivers will be eligible for testing permits.
Only a few select companies, such as Waymo and Cruise, have introduced driverless vehicles, categorized as Level 4 automation, into the market. However, challenges concerning traffic congestion and safety have hindered their widespread adoption.
In a notable incident last October, a driverless Cruise vehicle in San Francisco dragged a pedestrian for over 20 feet along the street, prompting authorities to suspend the company’s operational permit. Similarly, a few months later, a driverless Waymo vehicle was involved in a minor collision with a bicyclist. Officials in San Francisco criticized both companies for impeding traffic flow and obstructing emergency vehicles and buses.
To preempt such issues, New York City has proposed a mandate requiring companies to maintain safety drivers in their vehicles at all times. Under Mayor Adams’ proposal, companies would still need to secure a permit from the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Moreover, applicants would be obligated to furnish details on the recruitment and training procedures of their safety drivers and commit to adhering to the latest best practices outlined by the Society of Automotive Engineers.
According to a spokesperson, data derived from autonomous vehicle (AV) testing will eventually be accessible through the city’s Open Data portal. As part of the application procedure, the Department of Transportation will assess requests from applicants regarding the confidentiality of specific data that may be withheld from disclosure.
Written by Vytautas Valinskas