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Self-Driving Cars Might Change Crash Testing Forever
Confirmed
In Short: Self-driving car startup Wayve has hired Elisa de Martel, former CFO of Waymo, as its new CFO, signaling a move from development to deployment of its technology in robotaxis and passenger vehicles.
Crash testing is facing new challenges with self-driving cars, as it's difficult to determine the position of passengers during a crash. Becky Mueller from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety notes that current methods are inadequate for autonomous vehicles.
Wayve, backed by significant investment and interest from companies like Uber, is among those pushing for a more permanent solution to the safety questions surrounding autonomous vehicles. The industry is exploring advanced crash-test dummies designed for the unique seating and safety systems of self-driving cars.
Crashes involving autonomous vehicles could lead to a reevaluation of how safety is assessed, as current methods struggle to accurately reflect the positions of passengers in less-than-standard seating conditions.
What's confirmed
- Crash testing is facing new challenges with self-driving cars, as it's difficult to determine the position of passengers during a crash. Becky Mueller from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety notes that current methods are inadequate for autonomous vehicles.
- Wayve, backed by significant investment and interest from companies like Uber, is among those pushing for a more permanent solution to the safety questions surrounding autonomous vehicles. The industry is exploring advanced crash-test dummies designed for the unique seating and safety systems of self-driving cars.
- Crashes involving autonomous vehicles could lead to a reevaluation of how safety is assessed, as current methods struggle to accurately reflect the positions of passengers in less-than-standard seating conditions.
What's still developing
- 25% off tickets now Back by popular demand: Save up to $300 on Disrupt Elisa de Martel, who was chief financial officer at Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle company Waymo, has been hired to the same position at buzzy self-driving vehicle startup Wayve.
- Her appointment as CFO comes as Wayve moves from development and testing to a company on the verge of deploying its automated driving technology on two fronts: robotaxis and passenger vehicles.
- It’s also attracted investors — Wayve has raised $3.2 billion to date — and companies like Uber that want to use a more capable version of the self-driving tech to deploy robotaxis.
- Very few are noting, or even have a way to note, exactly how victims were sitting before or during a crash.
- The process took months, and Zoox received permission this summer to use up to 5,000 cars in its robotaxi service for two years. (Tesla is also trying to self-certify its Cybercab; the NHTSA is currently investigating the issue.) But the government is looking for a more permanent solution to driverless safety questions.
- In fact, passengers sitting in less-than-standard positions in any car are more likely to get hurt in a crash, even with their seatbelts fastened.
- According to US federal safety data, 42 people killed in traffic crashes in the past decade were identified as “seat back not in normal upright position, seat back reclined.” That’s likely an undercount.
- Crashes move human bodies, and emergency responders work quickly to extricate hurt people from damaged vehicles.