When the Car Drives Itself – An Interview with Safety Driver Nicholas
Nicholas talks about his tasks, training and overcoming the challenge of letting go of the wheel
The biggest difference between a regular car and an autonomous vehicle is how it starts. "The procedure in an autonomous vehicle is very complex – for a good reason", says Nicholas. He has been working as a driver at MOIA in Hamburg for six years and trained to be a safety driver two years ago. He has thus undergone an extensive process that qualifies him to "drive" an autonomous ridepooling vehicle. Among other things, he had to familiarize himself extensively with technology. This is because before the journey begins, the self-driving-system (SDS), lidar sensors and cameras, which keep an eye on the vehicle and everything that happens 360 degrees around it, are gradually ramped up.
In the interview, Nicholas explains what tasks he takes on as a safety driver in the vehicle, how the training works, and whether he finds it difficult to let go of the wheel.
Hi Nicholas, why did you choose to become a Safety Driver at MOIA?
I've been a driver in Hamburg since 2019. I'm always interested in new things and was one of the first people to drive the barrier-free MOIAs at the beginning of 2023. Before that, I worked as a technical director in the theater, among other things, but was no longer able to do the job for health reasons. However, my love of technology remained. And those were the reasons for me to work as a Safety Driver: The appeal of something new in combination with pioneering technology.
To become a Safety Driver at MOIA, applicants must go through an extensive process. How does this look like?
Before the training to become a safety driver can begin, there are several steps to ensure that a candidate is suitable for the role and that the job truly fits the person. The first step is a simulation-based assessment center. In the driving simulator of an autonomous vehicle, candidates must demonstrate their decision-making skills and reaction speed in complex traffic situations. This is followed by an interview featuring practical case examples, as well as a visit to our hub for the autonomous fleet. There, interested applicants have the opportunity to talk directly with experienced safety drivers, ask questions, and get a firsthand impression of the daily work routine. If everything fits and the training can start, it begins with the Fit-for-Safety-Driver course, which prepares participants for the upcoming training phases. The next step takes place on the test track, a training course designed to simulate a small city and enable realistic traffic situations.
In the first part of the training, the focus is on what we call commentary driving. This means that, in the presence of a trainer, drivers comment on everything they see during the drive, from no-parking signs to cars, bicycles, and pedestrians on the street. On the test track, trainees then get to know the autonomous vehicle in more detail. Everyday traffic scenarios are simulated, and so-called interaction drivers take on the roles of other road users to create the most realistic conditions possible. The final part of the training takes place in real traffic on public roads in Hamburg, the very same streets where MOIA’s autonomous vehicles are already operating today.
