|
Project Title:
|
Electronic Vehicle Controls and Unintended Acceleration
|
|
PIN:
|
TRB-SASP-10-03
|
Major Unit:
|
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
Transportation Research Board
|
|
Sub Unit:
|
Studies and Special Programs Division
DEPS Computer Science & Telecommuncations Board
DEPS Board on Energy & Environmental Systems
|
|
RSO:
|
Menzies, Thomas
|
|
Subject/Focus Area:
|
Engineering and Technology; Transportation and Infrastructure
|
|
|
Project Scope
|
The objective of this contract is to provide NHTSA with an independent review of past and ongoing industry and NHTSA analysis to identify possible causes of unintended acceleration (UA) and make recommendations on:
•NHTSA research, rulemaking, and defects investigation activities and;
•human, infrastructure, and financial resources required for NHTSA to assure the safety of Electronic Throttle Controls (ETC) and other electronic vehicle control functions.
The Independent Panel of Experts shall:
A. Conduct a broad review and assessment of electronic vehicle controls, systems, and UA across the industry and safeguards used by manufacturers and suppliers to insure safety. In fulfilling this requirement, the committee shall make recommendations on (a) NHTSA research, rulemaking, and defects investigation activities; and (b) human, infrastructure, and financial resources required for NHTSA to assure the safety of electronic throttle, brake, and steering controls and other electronic vehicle control functions. The committee’s review, assessment and recommendations shall, at a minimum, encompass the following subject areas:
(l). Vehicle Control Electronics design & reliability:
(a). Software life-cycle process including specification, design, implementation, change control, testing, etc.;
(b). Computer hardware design & testing methods and integration with the software;
(c). Vehicle systems engineering, including how combinations of electronics and mechanical design are used to jointly achieve safety objectives;
(2). Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electromagnetic interference (EMI);
(3). Environmental factors;
(4). Existing relevant design and testing standards (SAE, ISO, IEEE, etc.);
(5). Vehicle design & testing methods for safety;
(6). Human system integration (HSl)/human factors;
(7). Potential forensic/problem solving methods not already in use by industry and regulatory agencies.
(8). Cybersecurity of automotive electronic control systems.
B. Review the “Silver Book" to analyze its continued relevance with respect to technologies, possible defects, and failure modes associated with UA. Report on the current understanding of possible causes of UA and how the increasing prevalence of ETC, other electronic vehicle control systems (e.g. brakes), event data recorders, and etc. that have emerged since publication of the Silver Book may require supplementing the book. Provide guidance on factors NHTSA should consider in light of these developments.
C. Review NHTSA policies, procedures and practices as they are applied to the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) Unintended Acceleration (UA) investigations and make recommendations for improvement with respect to the possible involvement of electronic control systems. In doing so, the committee shall;
(1). Review the general history of and process used in NHTSA’s defect investigations related to unintended acceleration;
(2). Provide recommendations and suggest priorities for the manner in which future possible defects involving electronic control systems should be investigated.
(3). Make recommendations for and suggest priorities for future research that may support investigations of such systems.
D. Review possible sources of UA other than electronic vehicle controls, such as human error, mechanical failure, and mechanical interference with accelerator mechanisms;
E. Examine best practices for assuring safety in other sectors, such as avionics, and considering what lessons might apply to vehicle safety design and assurance;
F. Discuss the limitations of testing in establishing the causes of rare events;
G. Describe improvements in design, development process, testing, and manufacturing, including countermeasures and fail safe strategies that could be used to increase confidence in ETC and other electronic vehicle control systems.
The Project is sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
The approximate start date for the project is March 26, 2010
A report will be issued at the end of the project in approximately 15 months.
Note: The final report, initially due in June 2011, will not be completed until later in the fall.
Additional project information, including open session presentations to the committee, can be found at the following website: http://www.trb.org/PolicyStudies/UnintendedAccelerationStudy.aspx
|
|
|
| |
|
Project Duration:
|
15 months
|
Provide FEEDBACK on this project.
|
Contact the Public Access Records Office to make an inquiry, request a list of the public access file materials, or obtain a copy of the materials found in the file.
|
|
|
