Setting a New Standard for Safe, Scalable Driverless Operations with the Industry-First Safety Assessment Framework

At Gatik, safety is not just a principle – it is our guiding philosophy, embedded into every decision we make and every mile we drive. While the autonomous vehicle (AV) industry has established meaningful safety benchmarks, we believe there’s an opportunity to push those standards even further. After more than seven years of shaping industry norms for autonomous vehicle safety, we’re committed to raising the bar to a new level.

Today, we are unveiling the most comprehensive safety case framework and independent assessment ever undertaken by an AV company. The scope of this safety case framework is as expansive as it is historic, and we’ve made a firm commitment that we will not deploy Freight-Only operations – no human onboard the vehicle or completely driverless – until it is fully executed, reviewed, and independently validated by trusted third parties. We’ve engaged two agencies that, combined, provide the expert resourcing and independence necessary to scale safety and hold us accountable to the highest possible standards. And we challenge all other companies in the industry to embrace similar levels of rigor and transparency.

Comprehensive Safety from the Ground Up

Edge Case Research is a globally recognized leader in autonomy risk management, known for working with AV innovators across multiple segments to develop some of the most rigorous and comprehensive safety programs in the industry. We have strategically partnered with Edge Case to enhance our safety infrastructure. Their mission is centered on the safe deployment of autonomous mobility, a vision that aligns seamlessly with our goals at Gatik.

At Gatik, Edge Case has already mobilized dedicated resources and personnel to implement their DevSafeOps® process to support system development, testing, and safety engineering. Their approach encompasses all variables, from organizational culture, to technological development, and throughout operations. At the core is adherence to the requirements of UL4600, one of the key safety standards for SAE Level 4 and 5 autonomous systems.

UL4600 was borne out of existing vehicle safety standards, including ISO 26262 and ISO/PAS 21448. While these traditional vehicle safety standards are comprehensive in their own right, they ultimately were designed for vehicles that still have a human driver onboard. In contrast, UL4600 was developed with the explicit intent to address the unique challenges of safety in driverless operations. Additionally, it’s technology-agnostic, dictating a level of safety that’s not insistent on any specific design approach or specific technology use. It’s one of the reasons that UL4600 serves as the ideal foundation for Gatik’s safety case framework.

However, UL4600 is just the starting point for Gatik’s commitment to safety. We’ve expanded beyond its comprehensive framework, developing 700+ identified safety portfolios that span every facet of our technology, operations, and risk management processes. This extensive scope reflects our unwavering dedication to achieving an unprecedented level of safety for autonomous systems on public roads. We will not rest until every safety portfolio is fully closed and independently verified. Only then will we deploy our Freight-Only operations at scale, ensuring a level of safety never before realized in the industry.

Transparency, Community, and Cooperation

At the heart of our mission to advance safety in AVs lies a commitment to collaboration and communication, recognizing that this effort cannot be pursued in isolation. In our relentless pursuit of creating safer, more reliable autonomy, and ensuring that we continue to foster the necessary support for, and trust in, our approach to safety we’ve prioritized open communication, collaboration, and transparency with federal, state and local agencies. As part of this effort, we have appointed Clint Kneip as Head of First Responder Engagement, a role intently focused on furthering the education and impact of safety in the communities we serve.

Our vision is to help lead the AV industry advance towards a new standard of safety – one that not only supports the growth and adoption of autonomous vehicle technologies across the United States and beyond, but also one that instills confidence in the reliability of AVs. Safety, for us, is not just about meeting the standards of today; it’s about redefining what safety can be for tomorrow.

Cooperation and transparency are instrumental to the success of AV platforms in any community. At the federal level, cooperation and transparency have been fundamental to shaping the future of AV platforms. Our focus has been on fostering close working relationships with key agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Through open information sharing and collaboration with these regulatory bodies, we are actively contributing to the development of robust safety practices. While there have been previous efforts by government agencies to request that AV companies voluntarily provide safety-relevant information with its Voluntary Safety Self-Assessment (VSSA) program, now is the time to take the next step and move beyond self-assessments. Our next step involves advocating for independent validation of safety design elements and claims – a move that will strengthen the credibility and reliability of the systems deployed on public roads well beyond anything mandated by any regulatory requirements. We are not merely focused on meeting regulatory expectations but are actively pushing for higher standards. Through this approach, we aim to build an environment where cooperation, transparency, and independent validation go hand-in-hand to drive the widespread acceptance and success of autonomous technology.

Our commitment to safety extends beyond compliance—it’s about leadership, innovation, and ensuring the trust of the communities we serve. By maintaining a collaborative stance with agencies at every level and constantly seeking ways to elevate the safety and reliability of our technology, we are confident in paving the way for a safer, more autonomous future.

Independent Validation: A New Industry Standard

We don’t just define our safety approach — we assess it for thoroughness and state-of-the-art safety practices. Beyond the safety case framework we’re developing with Edge Case Research, we’ve enlisted TÜV SÜD to independently assess the implementation of that framework. TÜV SÜD is a globally recognized independent testing and certification organization with extensive experience in autonomous system safety assurance. With the completion of over 670,000 certifications, across numerous industries worldwide, they are uniquely positioned to provide an unequaled level of oversight and authority in safety programs.

The assessment will focus on six key pillars: safe testing, organizational safety culture, system and safety engineering quality (functional, behavioral, and operational), cybersecurity, vehicle safety, and compliance with the UL4600 standard. This rigorous review will closely examine all 700+ safety portfolios within our safety case framework and determine our adherence to them at all levels. It’s a diligent examination of our complete autonomy ecosystem, ensuring safety in the real world – not just on paper.

Overseeing this undertaking from concept, through development, to ultimate certification, is Dr. Adam Campbell, Gatik’s Head of Safety. Dr. Campbell is one of the leading voices in AV safety and longtime champion of understanding and improving the human safety benchmark, even developing a patent-pending method for analyzing expected human performance in various scenarios. His work at Gatik has helped deliver our 100% safety record and recently led to him being honored as a 2024 Rising Star by Automotive News.

The Path Ahead

We own the middle mile, and our 100% safety record is a testament to the exceptionally high standards we’ve set for ourselves and continue to maintain. As we enter the next phase of our journey, our commitment to safety remains absolute. The establishment of our safety case framework and independent assessment marks a pivotal step in revolutionizing on-road safety for autonomous vehicles. Our Freight-Only operations at scale will be a groundbreaking milestone for AV deployment, addressing the evolving demands of logistics. However, this moment will come only after our safety case framework has been independently validated to the greatest extent possible for Gatik’s middle mile operations.

We won’t compromise in the interest of expediency. Our processes move at the speed of safety, because we believe this is something that’s critical for the success of our industry. We’re dedicated to ensuring that all key stakeholders, including customers, federal, state and local government, the first responder community and the general public have confidence in the independently-verified safety of our technology and operations. To that end, we will be publicly sharing information on progress made towards completion of our safety case framework, prior to the deployment of our Freight-Only operations. We invite you to join us on this industry-defining journey.