Skip to main content

SAE Level 3 is not 'real autonomy', says Axa Insurance

Autonomy at SAE Level 3 is just very good driver assistance, said David Williams, managing director, underwriting and technical services at Axa Insurance.
By Ben Spencer January 29, 2020 Read time: 1 min
Autonomous self-driving driverless vehicle with radar driving on the road (source: ID 57148848 © Hong Li | Dreamstime.com)

Speaking at 'Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum policy conference Intelligent and autonomous transport in the UK – next steps for innovation, infrastructure and regulation', Williams expressed concerns on “the messages being sent to people on the roads”.

“If you're telling them that level 3 is autonomous; they will do things that they shouldn't and they won't be ready to take back control,” he added.

Williams also emphasised the need to understand the technology better because “pricing will focus more on the vehicle than the individual”.

“If you've got a safer vehicle, we want to offer you a lower price, but all these things are currently fitted as optional extras,” he continued. “When you go onto a price comparison website, we don’t know what's fitted to your vehicle so we need to understand this so we can reward the customer appropriately.”

“Secondly, over the air updates may mean that the vehicle you drive off the forecourt may not have the capability of the vehicle you have in a year's time, so we need to understand that as well,” he concluded.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • US updates ITS strategy for Connected Vehicle deployment
    March 16, 2015
    Jon Masters looks at the USDOT’s new ITS Strategic Plan for the next five years. Emphasis and direction for the next five years of Government led ITS research in the United States has been framed within a new ITS Strategic Plan. The US Department for Transportation’s (USDOT) ITS Joint Program Office (JPO) published the report at the tail end of 2014 after concluding a two-year ITS industry consultation process. The Plan identifies a vision to transform the way society moves and the ITS JPO’s aim of advancin
  • Teledyne Flir brings Middle East into vision
    July 10, 2023
    As urban sprawl creeps across the Middle East and Africa, congested roads aren’t far behind. Hesham Enan of Teledyne Flir explains to Adam Hill how traffic technology is helping authorities to cope
  • Acusensus highlights magnitude of seatbelt problem
    March 8, 2023
    If you don’t wear a seatbelt, you’re disproportionately likely to be killed in road collisions. Geoff Collins of Acusensus talks to Adam Hill about how AI will allow police to monitor and prevent this risky behaviour
  • BlackBerry’s Jeff Davis: ‘Hands off 5.9GHz!’
    September 25, 2019
    As a US Marine, BlackBerry’s Jeff Davis saw the world’s trouble spots. But much of his attention is now focused on what he sees as the ITS sector’s biggest issue: cybersecurity. Adam Hill finds out more Oh, I often feel I’m the dumbest guy in the room,” laughs Jeff Davis, senior director, connected transportation, at BlackBerry. It’s hard to credit this. Davis has a range of experience that sets him apart from most people in the ITS sector. He was in the US Marine Corps, with seven tours of duty, inclu