The British Standards Institution (BSI) has set out minimum requirements for testing and trialling autonomous vehicles on the UK roads.
The document, PAS 1881 Assuring the safety of automated vehicle trials and testing, is the first fast-tracked standardization document to be published as part of the BSI’s two-year CAV Standards Program.
The program, delivered in conjunction with the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, the Department for Transport, Innovate UK and Zenzic, aims to accelerate the safe use of autonomous vehicles with guidance and technical standards.
BSI says PAS 1881 will help organizations show they follow good practices and provide insurers, authorities and the public with confidence.
PAS 1881 will supplement the UK government’s Code of Practice for trialling autonomous vehicles and complement the updated Safety Case Framework Report 2.0 created by Zenzic, an organization dedicated to self-driving cars, and TRL.
Scott Steedman, director of standards at BSI, said, “Our ambition in the UK is to create the best possible environment for the safe trialling, testing and deployment of innovative future vehicle technology. Critically, this depends on having the right standards that will support industry, regulators and build trust with the public. BSI’s standards strategy for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) is delivering solutions that will accelerate innovation but keep safety first.”
Rachel Maclean, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Transport, whose responsibilities include the future of transportation, said, “The UK intends to remain a world leader in transport innovation from the financing and testing of autonomous vehicles through to data, licensing and global standards. That’s why we’re investing more than £200m (US$255m) into research, development and testbeds for connected and automated vehicles. I welcome these new standards from the BSI as new technologies are rolled out, making the movement of people, goods and services greener, healthier, safer and more reliable.”
Richard Porter, director of technology and innovation at Zenzic, said, “PAS 1881’s development has been supported by Zenzic’s CAV Testbed Partners across the UK and forms the basis for our own updated safety case framework. Organizations who adhere to the framework while developing self-driving technology will be able to move more easily between the different capabilities and environments that our Testbed partner facilities provide.”