'Driverless Autonomous Vehicles, Are They Safe?'... Korea Transportation Safety Authority Establishes Evaluation Standards

Korea Transportation Safety Authority Begins Testing and Evaluation of Unmanned Autonomous Shuttle

The Korea Transportation Safety Authority announced on the 23rd that it has begun testing and evaluating the safety of a Level 4 autonomous shuttle being developed by the domestic startup Autonomous A2Z.

The autonomous shuttle "Roi," developed by this company, is a 12-seater vehicle made using more than 96% domestically produced parts. It is equipped with Level 4 technology that enables autonomous driving in specific sections without driver intervention.

A 12-passenger autonomous unmanned shuttle developed by Autonomous A2Z, a self-driving technology company. Provided by Korea Transportation Safety Authority.

Manufacturers who create autonomous vehicles or develop related technologies are developing unmanned vehicles aiming for commercialization in the second half of this year, but it has been difficult to manufacture or operate them due to the lack of standards or methods to evaluate the safety performance of the systems. The Authority has been reviewing methods to verify the performance of Level 4 autonomous vehicles by leveraging the know-how accumulated from confirming the safety operation requirements of all temporary autonomous vehicles operating domestically and by researching and developing autonomous vehicle safety evaluation technologies.

Since the second half of last year, the Authority has been gradually supporting performance verification, aiming to complete it by the second half of this year. It examines whether the vehicle structure and functions, excluding the autonomous driving system, comply with 125 automotive safety standards. If evaluation is difficult due to structural characteristics such as the absence of a steering wheel or pedals, the Authority plans to assist in manufacturing new types of vehicles through special exceptions to standards or separate testing.

After confirming compliance with safety standards, the Authority intends to verify the safety of autonomous driving systems by applying the safety evaluation methods for autonomous driving systems being discussed at the international organization level (UN WP.29) and the latest domestic and international safety evaluation guidelines.

Electric autonomous bus that conducted a pilot operation around Cheonggyecheon, Seoul in 2022. Photo by Yonhap News

Starting from the first half of this year, the Authority plans to evaluate whether systems developed by companies are safe based on 25 scenarios developed to verify the prevention performance of vehicle-pedestrian accidents. Real-road verification will also be conducted. As new safety standards are being established this time, it is expected that verification demands for autonomous driving systems under development will increase.

Jung Yong-sik, Chairman of the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, stated, "To comprehensively support the introduction of Level 4 autonomous vehicles, we will thoroughly verify the safety of autonomous vehicles to prioritize public safety," and added, "We will strive to create a sustainable and balanced growth environment for the future car industry."