Punggol self-driving vehicle’s collision due to human intervention

SINGAPORE – ComfortDelGro will resume operating its autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Punggol for familiarisation purposes on Jan 30, after it was found that the safety operator had caused one of the vehicles

to collide with a road divider on Jan 17

.

The AV was undergoing routine mapping and familiarisation in Edgedale Plains at about 3.10pm that day when the collision took place. No passengers were on board at the time, and no one was hurt.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Jan 29 that a simulation of the incident showed that the vehicle would have completed its manoeuvre safely after it detected an object that was not on the road.

Its automatic response was to drive into the adjacent lane as a precautionary measure. However, the safety officer on board intervened when the AV moved into a different lane without an obvious reason.

The vehicle came under manual control, but the safety officer was unable to complete the manoeuvre in time, resulting in the collision.

LTA and ComfortDelGro have since jointly reviewed operating procedures when it comes to transitioning between autonomous and manual driving.

The two organisations also reviewed when safety officers should intervene “to ensure safety for all”, LTA said.

The incident highlights the importance of the familiarisation phase, in which AVs accustom themselves to Singapore’s road conditions, the authority added.

The authority will lift the safety timeout, which has been in place since Jan 18.

Separately, the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, the National Taxi Association and the National Transport Workers’ Union issued a joint statement on Jan 29, reiterating the importance of adequate training for all AV personnel.

Stressing that it is crucial to ensure the safety of drivers inside AVs during the pilot phase, they said trial periods should go beyond testing technology and mapping routes.

“They must also provide personnel with sufficient time to familiarise themselves with the broader industry landscape and the systems they operate,” the statement said, adding that it is especially critical while AVs are still familiarising themselves with roads here.

ComfortDelGro is serving one of three AV routes in Punggol, partnering Chinese AV firm Pony.ai.

The other two routes are run by Grab, in partnership with Chinese AV company WeRide.

Some Punggol residents have been able to try out one of Grab’s routes since Jan 12, ahead of its official launch some time in the next two to three months.

The weekday service covers a 10km route that links the western and eastern parts of the estate.