Safety and Risk—Why Their Definitions Matter

In this chapter, we analyze the meanings and uses of the term ‘safety’Safety among stakeholderStakeholder groups, be they engineers, regulators, legislators, advocacy groups, or the public, by breaking down safety claims concerning automated vehicles (AVs) into associated risks. What we elaborate in our analysis is that the definitions of ‘safety’ are sometimes stated explicitly, but are also often implied, along with the associated risks. Sorting out what is meant in any safety claim related to AVs thus requires some further guesswork or analysis. We also find in our analysis that stakeholders talk about different risks when designating a vehicle as safe, which could lead to mismatched expectations of what would constitute a safe vehicle. Based on our analysis we pose questions that could help facilitate a more explicit and detailed distinction between the different meanings of safety and associated risks that are considered with each stakeholder perspective. Our analysis can further support future discussions among stakeholder groups and disciplines about approaches for handling safety and risk communication for AVs.