Why first responders need training to address AVs?

This is the article written by Automotive Intelligence team in KPMG Consulting.

The team provides you with an overview and key insights of social infrastructure for coming commercial operation of automated vehicles and preparation including the training for first responders.

1. Evolution on the vehicle type and functions
2. Three types of interactions between first responders and ADS-DVs
3. Communication between ADS-DVs operators and first responders

First responders in this article refer to police, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel, who respond to emergency calls at roadway incidents. First responders are emergency personnel, who arrive on a scene of an incident and take action to save and aid lives, as well as protect properties.

New vehicles with various powertrains are now in use on the roads and first responders are preparing professional responses to accidents with dangerous crashes. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Japanese government recognizes the need for new techniques and protocols according to the categories in the Table1.

[Table1: Powertrains of vehicles]

Source: Prepared by KPMG Consulting Co., Ltd. based on 消防庁「令和2年度 救助技術の高度化等検討会報告書 次世代自動車事故等に対する活動技術の高度化について」

In addition to the complexities of various powertrains, operations of automated driving taxies assume that driving tasks and first responder interactions may no longer include human directly. Automated driving vehicles for taxi operations are operated by central systems of AI based computers.

The document of SAE Industry Technologies Consortia^*1 defines them as “automated driving system-dedicated vehicles (ADS-DVs)” which can handle a wide variety of circumstances on the roads without drivers.

However, when automated driving system capabilities encounter irregular circumstances such as accidents, they can request remote assistance from a trained human operator, who will have a contact with first responders remotely.

SAE best practice^*2 shows three general types of interactions between first responders and ADS-DVs with remote assistance: direct, indirect, and informational.

Direct interaction is a physical contact between a first responder and an ADS-DV such as entering the vehicle to provide aid to passengers. However, before make a direct interaction, first responders should contact fleet operators for the information about the vehicle and the situation. Due to ADS-DVs’ connection with the central system, the information can be provided to first responders even before a direct interaction with ADS-DVs if a plan and training program are developed for the operators.

Indirect interaction is something by a first responder influencing an ADS-DV such as using lights or sirens by an emergency vehicle before making any physical contact. ADS-DVs should be programmed to recognize such emergency signs or announcements.

Informational interaction is to occur when information must be obtained from a vehicle itself or provided by first responders about a vehicle. For example, a police officer scans a license plate number into a vehicle registration system to determine a service provider and other relevant information about the vehicle.

Under the article 72 of the Road Traffic Act of Japan, drivers have a duty to provide aid to injured persons in the event of a traffic accident. Specifically, the following measures are required: stopping the vehicle, providing aid to the injured, preventing further danger, and reporting to the police. Failure to fulfill these duties can result in severe penalties for violating the duty to provide aid (hit-and-run). For example, if the injured are not aided, the driver may face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to 1 million yen.

However, ADS-DVs sometimes move even without passengers in case of accidents. They are programmed to conduct minimum risk condition, which usually means to move to and stop at the nearest roadside. No one can aid the injured although an SOS call can be made immediately either by a system or personnel remotely watching.

First responders have to deal with the situation above together with remote assistance to fulfill the duties of the article 72. Therefore, between ADS-DVs operators and the first responders, there should be plans and training programs to prepare for typical circumstances to deal with the first responders and remote assistance, which has never happened before ADS-DVs come.

Remote assistance should be a part of social infrastructure although provided by each operator of ADS-DVs and interaction between remote assistance and first responders are officially recognized.

*1, 2: SAE International “AVSC Best Practice for First Responder Interactions with Fleet-Managed Automated Driving System-Dedicated Vehicles (ADS-DVs) AVSC-I-01-2024 ”

KPMG Consulting
Manager, Yukie Koyano