The infographic below explains SAE’s levels of driving automation, summarizing some key points presented in SAE J3016: Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles. The paper is free here.

According to Statista, 60% of newly registered vehicles in 2025 will be Level 1 and 33% will be Level 2, with the remainder being Levels 0 and 3. According to strategy and management gurus McKinsey, by 2035, 90% of vehicles will be Level 1 or greater, with 37% being Level 3 or 4. We've got a long way to go before Level 3+ vehicles are widespread (did you see B.C. just banned Level 3+ AVs?), and who knows how things will play out, but understanding autonomous features and how they may affect a collision is important now and will only become more important in the future. Alan Moore drops a lot of autonomous knowledge for us recons here.

I was in Tempe this March teaching Lightpoint’s photogrammetry course and decided to catch a ride with Waymo One, reported to be the world’s first autonomous ride-hailing service (gratuitous sunset shot of the trusty steed below). The ride was shockingly smooth and confidence inspiring. Two thumbs up.

 
 

Let’s look at a few different vehicles and apply the SAE definitions to determine their level of autonomy.

Waymo: The Jaguar had no driver, just a nerdy recon in the back seat. So, we’re already up to Level 4. However, the Waymo vehicle cannot “…drive everywhere in all conditions.” As such, it’s not Level 5.

Tesla: Even with FSD, the features require “active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.” So this kicks FSD out of Level 3, but it does hit all the marks of Level 2.

Tundra: My cherry 2018 Tundra has AEB (automated emergency braking) and dynamic cruise control, but doesn’t offer any steering support, so it’s a Level 1.

Misc.: Any vehicle with AEB and miscellaneous collision warnings but no dynamic cruise control or lane centering is deemed Level 0. Sorry sir, you’re a zero!

I hope that helps you further understand the Levels and where we might be headed. Keep exploring!

Lou Peck
​Lightpoint | Axiom

P.S. Trolling a Waymo.