The government is to investigate all accidents involving vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), regardless of fatality numbers, Taiwan Transportation Safety Board Chairman Lin Shinn-der (林信得) told the legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday.
Lin was to brief the committee on the board’s performance in the past year, but lawmakers expressed concerns about the increase in traffic accidents on freeways caused by ADAS-equipped vehicles crashing into the back of construction vehicles.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) cited data from the Freeway Bureau, saying that 279 freeway traffic accidents had occurred from 2021 to September this year, involving rear-end collisions with freeway construction vehicles, 140 of which were caused by ADAS-equipped vehicles.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Of the 140 accidents, 60 occurred when the system was activated, Chen said.
Given the significant rise in accidents caused by ADAS-equipped vehicles, the board should learn from the US and Japan and stipulate regulations governing automated vehicle use, Chen said.
DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said that the board would only launch investigations into incidents on highways or freeways when they involve the deaths of three or more people.
However, US officials would investigate the spontaneous combustion of electric vehicles, regardless of whether they led to fatalities, Lin Chun-hsien said, adding that the board should re-examine its investigation criteria.
Taiwan currently does not have 100 percent self-driving vehicles, only ADAS-equipped vehicles, Lin Shinn-der said.
“Some car dealers or owners brag that their vehicles are at level 2.5 of driving automation as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers, are closer to level 3, or that their vehicles are in level 3, but the US government requires level 3 self-driving cars to be operated in designated areas only. Only level 2 automated cars are available in Taiwan. People should not confuse these two levels, which would endanger lives,” he said.
As more ADAS-equipped vehicles are involved in freeway collisions, an ad hoc team has been established to investigate this accident type, regardless of whether they lead to fatalities, he said.
“The investigation would look into how the vehicles were operated, vehicle designs and environmental factors that might lead to accidents,” he said, adding that results could make both automakers and consumers aware of safety issues.
Lin Shinn-der said that the board would need to recruit more investigators to meet rising demand.
The SAE defines six levels of driving automation, ranging from 0, or fully manual, to 5, which means fully autonomous. Level 2 vehicles are ADAS-equipped vehicles, in which vehicles can control both steering and acceleration or deceleration, but humans must sit in the driver’s seat and can take control of the car at any time, while level 3 vehicles have “environmental detection” capabilities and could automatically make informed decisions, such as accelerating past a slow-moving vehicle.
However, drivers of level 3 vehicles must remain alert and ready to take control.
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