AV Watch: Community Reporting for Autonomous Vehicle Safety

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are deploying in increasing numbers on our roads. Yet even as their safety improves, incidents involving these vehicles continue to occur. Currently, there are no widely available channels for both AV riders and non-riders to report incidents, such as near-misses or traffic disruptions. These incidents are tracked by AV operators, such as Waymo and Zoox, using data from their vehicles and riders. However, incidents are only required to be reported to regulators under certain circumstances, such as in the event of system disengagement, injury, or death. Without key safety data, policymakers are unable to make more informed safety regulation, and the public is unaware of what really happens in their community. This clear lack of transparency and community oversight erodes public trust in these vehicles, making it difficult to hold their operators accountable.

 

 

The platform features:

AV Watch empowers anyone to reveal the street-level incidents occurring in their communities that would otherwise remain concealed, regardless of where they are. By giving the public a platform to share their voice, AV Watch gives all stakeholders a better understanding of what really happens on our streets.