A panel of outside experts oversees the safety of Argo AI's autonomous vehicles

The autonomous vehicle testing process is gradually ramping up, and Argo AI has announced that there will be a panel of outside experts on hand to oversee the safe deployment of its technology.

A startup backed by Ford and Volkswagen will 'report on Argo's safety and security policies, including maintaining a world-class safety culture, scaling across multiple cities and countries, and responsible launching driverless services.'

As a result of the announcement, public opinion appears to be changing toward autonomous vehicles (AVs), with recent surveys showing that more than half of Americans believe that autonomous vehicles (AVs) would be 'bad' for society as a whole. 

The announcement comes at a time when the Biden administration continues to scrutinize crashes involving autonomous vehicles as it weighs possible new regulations that could govern the autonomous vehicle industry.

The Argo Safety Advisory Council aims to improve public perception of autonomous vehicles while bringing greater transparency to behind-the-scenes operations.

A statement issued by Bryan Salesky, Argo's CEO and founder, stated: 'At Argo, our foundational value is safety,' in an email statement sent out to journalists. In cities, autonomous vehicles can positively impact safety and accessibility.

As with most companies with autonomous vehicles on the road, Argo AI has had its share of accidents. A self-driving car owned by the company was involved in an accident in Pittsburgh in 2018 that sent two people to the hospital.

As part of the National Highway Traffic Administration's yearly tally of incidents related to autonomous vehicles, Argo AI reported 10 crashes involving one of its autonomous test vehicles on behalf of the agency.

As well as Pittsburgh, Detroit, and California cities, Argo has tested its fourth-generation vehicles in Miami, Washington, DC, and Austin, Texas, for the last few years. 

The company is also planning to launch an autonomous micro-transit and delivery service in Germany using its fifth-generation autonomous technology in 2025, with VW.

A new company listed on the NASDAQ, Argo, is now the fourth in a row to regularly test its vehicles to ensure they are safe without a driver behind the wheel, following Waymo, Cruise, and Motions.