Autonomous vehicle accidents: Who should be safer: the driver or the pedestrian?
Conservative systems in autonomous vehicles in dilemma zones could cause traffic congestion.

As discussions unfold on "law-abiding" driving and the role of the National Police Agency in the era of autonomous driving, questions are being raised about whether law-abiding driving of autonomous vehicles can improve citizen safety and satisfaction.

The Korea Institute of Public Safety and Security and the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Systems (KIS) held a seminar titled “Public Safety Technology and Future Police Strategies in the Autonomous Driving Era” at the 5th Public Safety Industry Expo held at Songdo Convensia on the 19th, and discussed various topics related to autonomous vehicle law-abiding operation.

Following the presentation on the ‘Development Direction of the Autonomous Driving Compliance Platform’ by Kim Kyung-won, head of the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI), a discussion moderated by KETI Headquarters Director Lim Tae-beom presented various opinions on autonomous driving compliance.

Chief Lim Tae-beom opened the discussion by saying that autonomous vehicles are being developed with the logic of naturally following the law, but that the social acceptance of fully autonomous vehicles and the satisfaction of passengers when driving in compliance with the law are issues that must be continuously considered.

Kim Jeong-hwa, an assistant professor in the Department of Urban and Transportation Engineering at Kyonggi University, said, “In the accident involving a self-driving car and a pedestrian that occurred in San Francisco, the self-driving car was operating in compliance with the law.”“We need to focus on the fact that accidents can happen even when driving legally, and the question is who should be safer – the driver or the pedestrian,” he said.

He continued by saying that as one way to ensure pedestrian safety, it is necessary to develop systems and standards that can inform pedestrians of the status and information of autonomous vehicles stopped on the road.

Professor Kim Si-ho of Yonsei University said, “When judging compliance with the law, there are parts that humans can arbitrarily interpret rather than based on mathematical or physical standards,” and added, “It is now time to think about laws and systems from a mechanical standpoint.”

Professor Kim Si-ho expressed concern that “the conservative system of autonomous vehicles in the dilemma zone could cause traffic congestion,” adding, “We also need to consider how much relaxation of this conservative system is necessary.”

Cho Yong-hyeok, a research fellow at the Korea Legislation Research Institute, emphasized, “From a legal scholar’s perspective, we must distinguish between legality, law-abiding, illegality, and unlawfulness,” and “If we are talking about law-abiding operation, the subject of law-abiding must also be defined.”

Meanwhile, as the theme of this seminar was 'Public Safety Technology and Future Police Strategy in the Autonomous Driving Era,' the importance of changes in laws and systems, along with the role of the police brought about by autonomous driving, was continuously mentioned.

Choi Jong-sang, director of the Institute for Public Safety Policy, said in his opening remarks, “There are many obstacles before AI systems, not humans, are put on the road.” He added, “The National Police Agency is also reinterpreting human-centered road traffic laws to suit the situation of AI driving and adapting to changes in the road conditions as new technologies are introduced in order to proactively respond to the commercialization of new technologies.” “We must prepare to face the environment,” he said.

Nam Du-hee, president of the Korea ITS Society, expressed his expectations, saying, “The introduction of autonomous vehicles will revolutionize future transportation systems and urban life, and also improve traffic safety and convenience.” He also said, “The introduction process will require various considerations, such as laws, regulations, and privacy protection, and the roles and duties of the police are expected to change significantly compared to the past.”

He continued, “In order to respond to the various changes brought about by autonomous vehicles, police organizations will strengthen their capabilities and adapt in various fields such as education, regulation, technology development, and cybersecurity.” He emphasized, “I hope that the police will continue to invest in technology, and the Korea ITS Society will also work with various experts and related industries to advance the field of public safety.”

Ryu Yeon-soo, head of the Science and Security Industry Team at the National Police Agency, read a congratulatory address from Park Seong-ju, director of the Future Security Policy Bureau, and said, “Autonomous driving technology is completely changing the paradigm of the existing traffic environment, and the National Police Agency also needs to make efforts to prepare for a safe future.” He added, “The police urgently need technological development and changes in laws and systems to allow autonomous vehicles equipped with artificial intelligence to drive on the road.”