Potential Regulatory Approaches for Occupant Safety in Automated Vehicles with Unique Seating Configurations Part 2: Interior Safety Sensing and Messaging Proposals S. D. Thomas, LLC

Format:

Book

Conference/Event

Author/Creator:

Thomas, Scott (Writer on Harry Potter), author.

Conference Name:

WCX SAE World Congress Experience (2026-04-14 : Detroit, Michigan, United States)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Safety regulations and standards.

Safety belts.

Autonomous vehicles.

Automated vehicles.

Seats and seating.

Occupant protection.

Local Subjects:

Safety regulations and standards.

Safety belts.

Autonomous vehicles.

Automated vehicles.

Seats and seating.

Occupant protection.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Warrendale, PA SAE International 2026

Summary:

This paper contains Part 2 of a two-part paper series proposing potential regulatory approaches for occupant safety in Automated / Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) with unique seating configurations (stagecoach and campfire seating). Part 2 focuses on interior safety sensing, associated messaging, and ride control approaches both prior to and during a ride. Assessments are also proposed after significant vehicle braking and crash events.The proposed conditions are to be assessed in a static vehicle environment with humans segmented by occupant size and an infant dummy. On the vehicle seat and on the vehicle floor occupant detection conditions are proposed along with restraint usage detection conditions for vehicle seat belt usage, Child Restraint Seat (CRS) usage, CRS seat belt usage, and Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system usage. These conditions may be detected by sensors / computer algorithms and human monitoring and thus are technology agnostic. The topics of animal detection and cargo detection are also discussed.Part 1 of this paper series proposed using interior safety sensing as an alternative / a replacement for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 (FMVSS-208) Occupant Crash Protection unbelted in-position occupant compliance conditions. This paper proposes conditions involving occupant and seat belt restraint usage detection. This evaluation approach strives to prevent unbelted occupants and is an improvement over restraint countermeasures for unbelted occupants.This paper also discusses and proposes visual and audible safety messaging for prior to the ride occupant education and for occupant and restraint usage detection outcomes. Vehicle level ride control actions are suggested such as preventing a ride when improperly restrained occupants are detected.These approaches can be used in industry-wide regulatory next step contemplation for unique interior seating arrangement AVs. When adopted, these approaches would likely reside in an expanded version of FMVSS-208

Notes:

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Access Restriction:

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