Project Summary
California is the state hosting the world’s most active automated driving system (ADS) deployments, yet no standardized framework exists for evaluating and reporting ADS safety performance from real-world operational data. Current regulatory reporting requirements focus primarily on crash outcomes and disengagement events, which are insufficient for characterizing system safety across thousands of miles of urban operation. This project aims to translate findings from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority’s (CCTA) Automated Driving Systems Demonstration Program into practice-ready guidance for California regulators and operators. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, developed and applied a multi-metric surrogate safety measure (SSM) evaluation framework to over 70,000 miles of real-world ADS operation in Contra Costa County, California. This project will deliver three outputs: a structured three-workshop series engaging California DMV, transit agencies, ADS operators, and county transportation authorities; a Draft ADS Safety Reporting Framework specifying which safety metrics operators should report and how; and an ADS Safety Reporting Policy Brief released as a California PATH technical report. The workshop series will also introduce the SSM metric mapping against SFCTA’s conceptual AV permitting framework, providing an evidence base to strengthen existing regulatory efforts.
