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Consumers must be kept in the loop with public AV testing

The American Automobile Association may be best known for its roadside assistance, so why is it closely involved with AV developments? Freddie Holmes investigates

Consumers may have a choice in whether they ride in an autonomous car in future, but today they are powerless when it comes to sharing the road with automated test vehicles. Public testing and development will continue indefinitely, and third-party organisations want to ensure it goes ahead safely.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) Northern California, Nevada & Utah has been closely following the development of autonomous vehicles (AVs) for years, and in 2017 founded a dedicated AV Strategy division to better address industry trends. In October 2018 it concluded a public self-driving shuttle pilot in Las Vegas with AV developer Navya, and also partnered with Waymo’s ‘Let’s Talk Self Driving’ campaign. AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah has even snapped up a dedicated AV testing facility in California; in August 2018 it acquired the GoMentum Station, a sprawling abandoned naval base that has been used as a test bed by the likes of Honda, Toyota and Lyft. That puts one of the largest not-for-profit member benefit organisations in charge of the largest AV test site in the nation.

But why is a company known for its insurance and roadside assistance getting so closely involved with the AV industry? Any opportunity to reduce the impact of human error—linked to 94% of road incidents according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—is good news for AAA. Autonomous driving technology is deemed a viable solution, but while the technology has potential, AAA believes it must be tested responsibly.

Developers can get a jump start on testing at the GoMentum facility

“We need to help ensure the technology is implemented in a safe way before it is on public roads,” explained Ignacio Garcia, Vice President of Autonomous Vehicles Strategy at AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. “With a long heritage, experience, relationships and resources in the mobility industry, AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah is in a unique position to help public agencies and private companies develop and test self-driving technology safely. ”

Gaining GoMentum

The GoMentum Station essentially embeds AAA at the heart of the AV testing community. To say the facility is vast is an understatement: within its 2,100 acres lie various multi-lane carriageways, bicycle lanes, tunnels, fly-overs and fully-functioning traffic infrastructure. “But GoMentum is much more than a test track,” said Garcia. “In collaboration with Contra Costa Transportation Authority and the City of Concord, AAA Northern California offers a comprehensive programme where companies can test their AVs as well as have an opportunity to deploy their technologies in various public-private programmes to benefit communities in the Bay Area and beyond.”

Since taking over management of the GoMentum Station from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority last year, gradual improvements have been made to its infrastructure. “We have added roadway features like bike lanes and traffic circles (a roundabout in Europe), and testing equipment like programmable traffic lights to make GoMentum a more versatile proving ground for testing AVs,” said Garcia. “We also added AV testing equipment like dummies and services to help improve our customers’ test operation efficiency.”

In future, AAA also plans to launch a so-called ‘digital twin’ of the facility, which will allow developers to devise and simulate test procedures before taking to the track. A high definition (HD) map of the site will also be launched, which will help AVs to better understand their surroundings and plan ahead whilst driving. Garcia is quick to point out that simulation is a “complement to, not a replacement for” closed-course and real-world testing, but suggested the site’s broader capabilities will open the door to new players in the AV space.

The key to helping consumers feel more comfortable with self-driving technology will be by evaluating and educating the public on benefits and limitations of the emerging technology

“We realise that a lot of AV start-ups, as well as independent developers and researchers, are often limited by resources. For them, our digital offerings, namely the HD map and digital twin of GoMentum, will dramatically reduce their barriers to testing at GoMentum Station,” said Garcia. “With these additional tools, developers can get a jump start on testing at our facility.”

The view of the nation

As the de-facto car club for drivers in the US and Canada, AAA has access to nearly 60 million members and thus a strong position to guage consumer sentiment on a range of topics, including AVs. Many of its members will already be familiar with early levels of driver-assistance technologies, some of which have been involved in well publicised road collisions.

“Our members and consumers are looking for more validation that self-driving vehicles are being developed safely, and we are in a unique position to fill that need,” said Garcia. “However, consumer confusion exists in the marketplace and the public sentiment towards AVs is mixed.”

AAA released its annual National AV Consumer Sentiment Survey earlier this year, and found that 71% of Americans surveyed have reservations about riding in fully self-driving vehicles. While most, if not all, of those who took part are unlikely to have travelled in a self-driving test vehicle just yet, it does provide an indication of consumer expectations. It is also a sign that for developers, such vehicles will be a hard sell. However, there are use cases that prove more palatable; the survey found that 53% of Americans are comfortable with self-driving vehicles such as shuttles found at airports and amusement parks.

GoMentum is much more than a test track

“This was apparent during research AAA Nevada conducted in Las Vegas using a self-driving shuttle in the busy downtown area,” said Garcia. “The shuttle was the first and largest self-driving shuttle for public use in live traffic. It was also the first in the country to be fully integrated with smart city infrastructure to operate on open, public roads.” A survey conducted with passengers after their ride showed 27% left with a more positive attitude about automated driving technology.

AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah is well-placed to keep on top of the AV space as it evolves. With a sizable test facility at its disposal and direct access to consumers, it hopes to add-value across the board—no less in educating how technology may be deployed in future, and managing expectations as new features become available.

“We believe the key to helping consumers feel more comfortable with self-driving technology will be by evaluating and educating the public on benefits and limitations of the emerging technology,” concluded Garcia. “Driven by a commitment to advance traffic safety towards zero fatalities and revolutionising mobility, AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah is working with automakers, tech providers, and governments to shape a legislative and regulatory environment that ensures the safety of the public is at the center of taking self-driving vehicles mainstream on America’s roads.”

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