Keep it simple: Toyota’s approach to external interaction with autonomous vehicles

One of the main benefits of automation touted by autonomous vehicle (AV) developers is that they will make our roads safer by removing the human error element. Handing over driving tasks from human to machine, so the logic goes, has the potential to substantially reduce crashes and fatalities caused by distracted or drowsy driving, or via a lack of attention on the part of other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. But AVs will not populate roads overnight. On the route to advanced driver assist functions and full automation, there will be a long crossover period wherein road users can expect to encounter vehicles of varying capabilities.