The Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security on Thursday launched a brand new ranking program for automobiles with partial automation, one which no automobile in the marketplace can go with out adjustments.

The ranking system requires safeguards that automobiles with partial automation ought to make use of to assist drivers keep targeted and never deal with these techniques, resembling Tesla’s Autopilot and Volvo’s Pilot Help, as self-driving vehicles, an IIHS press launch mentioned.

Presently there aren’t any self-driving vehicles obtainable to shoppers.

“We’re nervous that these techniques are marketed to do sure issues, resembling drive hands-free and maybe grow to be disengaged from driving,” IIHS President David Harkey mentioned. “There’s a message being conveyed to shoppers that maybe these techniques can do greater than they’re supposed to.”

Automobiles will obtain a ranking of both “good,” “acceptable,” “marginal” or “poor.” A “good” ranking requires {that a} automobile screens whether or not drivers hold their fingers on the steering wheel and whether or not they take a look at the street. It additionally requires that automated lane adjustments be initiated by the motive force, amongst different issues.

The techniques should use many alerts to remind the motive force of those standards, and if the motive force fails to reply, the car ought to gradual to a crawl or cease, the press launch mentioned.

The most typical standards that vehicles presently in the marketplace fail are monitoring the fingers and automatic lane change, Harkey mentioned. Many vehicles even marketplace for drivers to make use of partial automation with out holding the steering wheel, he mentioned.

Another automobiles obtainable to shoppers have extra egregious faults, even permitting for drivers to make use of partial automation with out sporting a seat belt, Harkey mentioned.

However most of those issues shouldn’t be laborious to unravel.

“For a few of these issues, they’re fixes that may be applied shortly by software program,” Harkey mentioned, “We’re inspired that the automakers will deal with a few of these issues relatively shortly.”

Whereas these necessities can not power the motive force to focus, they permit the motive force to have the ability to take over management shortly if wanted, the press launch mentioned.

One of the crucial publicized crashes involving partial automation was in 2018, when a Tesla Mannequin X driver was distracted taking part in a cellphone online game whereas Autopilot was engaged. Hopefully, these safeguards will forestall comparable crashes from occurring, IIHS mentioned.

The principle objectives of those new standards will not be solely to set a normal for security however to alter how automakers and clients speak about partial automation. It isn’t simply the job of the automaker to market these techniques extra clearly, Harkey mentioned, however the driver should use them safely, too.

“We hope to coach shoppers in what these techniques can and can’t do,” Harkey mentioned. The motive force “nonetheless has a shared accountability to work with the know-how to ensure that they’re monitoring these techniques and to be the first particular person answerable for what occurs with reference to security.”

IIHS expects to situation the primary set of rankings someday this yr, however provide chain points have made automobiles troublesome to acquire for testing.