Self-driving car safety quantification via component-level analysis

In this paper, we present a rigorous modular statistical approach for arguing safety or its insufficiency of an autonomous vehicle through a concrete illustrative example. The methodology relies on making appropriate quantitative studies of the performance of constituent components. We explain the importance of sufficient and necessary conditions at component level for the overall safety of the vehicle. A simple concrete example studied illustrates how perception system analysis at component level can be used to prove or disprove safety at the vehicle level.