A method and a control device for controlling speed of a vehicle having an automatic cruise control system configured to automatically control speed based on a set speed and to automatically reduce the speed to a predetermined safe speed below the set speed as it is detected that the vehicle approaches a road section of a predetermined type such as a curve. The method includes while automatically controlling the speed towards the predetermined safe speed as the vehicle approaches the road section of the predetermined type, receiving a request from a driver of the vehicle to control speed to a temporary speed different from the predetermined safe speed and the set speed. The method includes in response to said request, controlling the speed to the temporary speed. The method includes at an end of the road section of the predetermined type, automatically controlling the speed based on the set speed.

In one aspect, a device includes at least one processor and storage accessible to the at least one processor. The storage includes instructions executable by the at least one processor to receive at least one override signal of at least a first autonomous driving feature of a vehicle, disable the first autonomous driving feature responsive to the override signal, and wirelessly transmit to at least a first computer server a signal indicating that the override signal was received.

Methods and systems for monitoring use, determining risk, and pricing insurance policies for a vehicle having one or more autonomous or semi-autonomous operation features are provided. According to certain aspects, the operating status and/or configuration of autonomous operation features of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle may be determined, such as via an on-board computer system or mobile device, and/or then directly or indirectly wirelessly communicated via data transmission from the vehicle computer system or mobile device to a remote server. An adjustment to one or more risk levels associated with operation of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle may also be determined, and an auto insurance policy, premium, or discount may be adjusted based upon the adjustment to the risk levels and presented to the customer for their review and approval. As a result, insurance cost savings may be passed onto risk averse customers that opt into to a rewards program.

A driving force control device changes, when shifted to the manual driving mode, the driving force from a driving force generated in an automated driving mode to a driving force generated in a manual driving mode. Further, when the manual driving mode is shifted to the automated driving mode, the driving force is controlled based on an override driving force characteristic specifying the target acceleration according to the vehicle speed, the accelerator pedal position, and a traveling resistance to the vehicle, and when a driving mode is switched to the manual driving mode during the automated driving mode in which the driving force is controlled based on the override driving force characteristic, the control of the driving force based on the override driving force characteristic is continued for a predetermined period after the switching to the manual driving mode.

A method is provided for autonomously operating a vehicle. The method includes receiving vehicle state and vehicle environment data; determining that a vehicle position is not in a position for autonomous mode based on vehicle state and vehicle environment data, wherein the position is associated with a center of one lane of a roadway; enabling a steering assistance torque for a lane-centering operation concurrently within a pre-determined period of time of engagement of the autonomous mode for a vehicular operation; blending the steering assistance torque for assisting in vehicle guidance with a torque applied by the operator for the lane-centering operation with the autonomous mode of vehicular operation engaged; and executing enablement of the autonomous vehicular operation mode with the vehicle positioned within the center of one lane of the roadway as the operator is transitioned from a hands-on to a hands-off control of the vehicle.

Methods and systems for monitoring use, determining risk, and pricing insurance policies for a vehicle having one or more autonomous or semi-autonomous operation features are provided. According to certain aspects, the operating status of the features, the identity of a vehicle operator, risk levels for operation of the vehicle by the vehicle operator, or damage to the vehicle may be determined based upon sensor or other data. According to further aspects, decisions regarding transferring control between the features and the vehicle operator may be made based upon sensor data and information regarding the vehicle operator. Additional aspects may recommend or install updates to the autonomous operation features based upon determined risk levels. Some aspects may include monitoring transportation infrastructure and communicating information about the infrastructure to vehicles.

Provided is a vehicle control device capable of switching a driving state of the vehicle, including a switch pedal configured to be provided on a left side of the vehicle rather than an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal of the vehicle; a stepped state detection unit configured to detect a stepped state of the switch pedal; and a driving state switching unit configured to switch the driving state of the vehicle to an automatic driving state, a cooperative driving state and a manual driving state, wherein the driving state switching unit is configured to switch the driving state to the cooperative driving state in a case where stepping of the switch pedal is detected by the stepped state detection unit when the driving state is the automatic driving state.

Methods and systems for monitoring use, determining risk, and pricing insurance policies for a vehicle having one or more autonomous or semi-autonomous operation features are provided. According to certain aspects, a computer-implemented method for real-time determination of the status of autonomous operation features of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle may be provided. With the customer's permission, the operation of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle may be monitored to obtain operating data from one or more autonomous operation features. An operating status of the autonomous features may be determined based upon the operating data. After which, a change in the operating status of the autonomous features may be identified, and a report containing information regarding the change in the operating status of the autonomous features may be generated. Insurance discounts may be provided to risk averse customers that maintain their autonomous vehicles, and associated accident avoidance functionality, in good working condition.

A drive mode switch control device acquires operation information. The drive mode switch control device switches a drive state among at least an autonomous drive state, a manual drive state, and a coordination drive state. The operation detection unit detects a first operation and a second operation based on the operation information when the drive state is not in the manual drive state. The second operation is the drive operation different from the first operation and input after the input of the first operation. The drive mode switch control device switches the drive state from the autonomous drive state to the coordination drive state based on a detection determination of the first operation. The drive mode switch control device switches the drive state from the coordination drive state to the manual drive state based on a detection determination of the first operation.

A vehicle control device is configured to: execute vehicle speed maintaining control for causing the vehicle speed to coincide with a set vehicle speed; start first control, for causing the acceleration to coincide with target acceleration for keeping maintaining acceleration no higher than limit acceleration, or second control, for controlling the acceleration such that the vehicle speed is kept no higher than a limit vehicle speed lower than the set vehicle speed, as limit control when a traffic signal correlated distance correlated with a traffic signal distance to a stop instructing traffic signal is determined to become a first threshold or less during execution of the vehicle speed maintaining control; and suspend the vehicle speed maintaining control and the limit control when a driver operates a deceleration operator during execution of the limit control.