What is BS ISO 39003 - Road Traffic Safety (RTS) about?
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are unlikely to gain widespread acceptance until the travelling public feels they are safe. To that end, BS ISO 39003:2023 gives guidance on the ethical aspects to consider in the design of AV decision making processes.
Who is BS ISO 39003 - Road Traffic Safety (RTS) for?
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Manufacturers of AVs
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Designers of the decision-making process for AVs in Level 5 mode
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Suppliers and the distribution chain
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Purchasers, owners and operators of AVs
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Government and other interested agencies
What does BS ISO 39003 - Road Traffic Safety (RTS) cover?
BS ISO 39003 gives guidance on ethical considerations with regard to the road traffic safety of autonomous vehicles. It applies to vehicles in Level 5 mode according to international Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE J3016) in 2014, as part of its Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to On-Road Motor Vehicle Automated Driving Systems report.
BS ISO 39003:2023 does not apply to the technical method used to control the decision-making process, nor does it give any guidance on the desired outcomes of those decisions. It gives guidance on ethical aspects for consideration in the design of decision-making processes to ensure that key aspects are not overlooked or disregarded.
NOTE: This document does not prescribe the required controls but rather offers a set of “protocol guidelines” that a vehicle manufacturer could choose to self-certify against to assure that the desired necessary ethical considerations were addressed during design and effectively controlled.
Why should you use BS ISO 39003 - Road Traffic Safety (RTS)?
This international standard offers a framework for AV ethics which is intended to support the practical integration of ethics into the AV development process. It can help users to:
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Ensure that key aspects are not overlooked or disregarded
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Provide reassurance that AVs will behave according to the mores and requirements of society
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Enter new markets
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Accelerate innovation
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Develop their expertise
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Increase confidence in AVs
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Strengthen risk management
