Advancing safety in transport through automation

Our report examines potential approaches to advancing safety in transport through automation. It has been written for the transport industry, the engineering community, policymakers, and anyone with an interest in autonomy and how it can transform how we move people and goods.

The report looks at four transport modes: road, rail, maritime and air. It reviews their current approaches to safety and risk and moves on to cover the expected impact of automation on safety. It examines how the transport sector is actively pursuing the benefits in cost, safety, and flexibility from the technology behind semi and fully autonomous vehicles. These autonomous systems all share the same basic system architecture and are dependent on the need for high integrity decision-making software.

Therefore, there is an opportunity to share knowledge and costs across the sectors, which may speed up development. Furthermore, there are also benefits to taking a common approach to safety to advance public acceptance.

Read our report for recommendations on the development of autonomous transport systems, approaches to measuring hazards, safety and risk, expected impacts of automation on safety, public perceptions, and more.