Apple releases automated driving safety report

The company has voluntarily shed light on its testing methods after keeping the program secret.

Apple has released a voluntary report detailing safety practices for its autonomous vehicle test program.

"We believe that automated driving systems (ADS) have the promise to

greatly enhance the human experience in three key areas: improving road safety increasing mobility, and realizing broader societal benefits," the company says.

The seven-page document (PDF) confirms that Apple is using both simulation and testing on closed-course proving grounds to help validate safety before the cars ever reach public roads. The same strategy is employed by other players, including apparent leader Waymo.

Recent data published by California's Department of Motor Vehicles showed Apple lagging the crowd in terms of miles driven per 'disengagement.' Apple's decision to voluntarily release a safety report may be intended to help explain why manual takeover may be a common procedure that does not necessarily reflect inefficiencies with the automated technology. The company has pressured regulators to implement different metrics that better indicate the actual safety of automated systems.

Separate unconfirmed rumors recently claimed that leaders of Uber's autonomous car project may have ignored safety concerns and disabled certain automated safety systems in an attempt to achieve a high miles-driven benchmark with few manual disengagements. If true, the allegations hint at how an obsession with mileage and disengagements may have contributed to the first fatal accident involving a self-driving car.