SAE International has published new recommendations for training the humans who remotely assist Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles when the technology gets stuck or faces an unusual situation.

Autonomous vehicles may drive without a human behind the wheel, but that does not mean humans are completely out of the loop.

Remote operators can still help deployed robotaxis when an autonomous system encounters a situation it cannot confidently resolve.

Now, SAE International has published a set of recommendations designed to define how those operators should be trained.

Remote Operators Need Different Skills

The Automated Vehicle Safety Consortium’s new Best Practice for ADS Remote Assistance Training and Human Factors focuses on operators who monitor autonomous vehicles and help them make decisions when needed.

These workers are not remotely driving the vehicle through a steering wheel and pedals.

Instead, they may help an autonomous vehicle choose the correct lane, interpret a situation, or accept a suggested route.

Remote operators can assist autonomous vehicles when the onboard system needs additional guidance.

SAE recommends that operators understand the rules of the road where the vehicle is operating.

That includes dynamic signs, lane markings, and local traffic conditions.

They also need a strong understanding of the autonomous driving system itself, including its sensors, data, and decision-making process.

Simulators Could Become the New Driver’s Ed

Training should include simulators that recreate situations operators could encounter in the real world.

Those simulations can use fictional scenarios or recordings of actual events.

SAE recommends simulator-based training to prepare remote operators for unusual autonomous-driving situations.

The organization also recommends regular retraining.

That would help operators stay familiar with updated software, new vehicle behaviors, and changes to their user interfaces.

Interestingly, SAE says a driver’s license is not necessarily required for remote operators, since their role is not conventional vehicle operation.

Companies can still require licenses and clean driving records if they choose.

The Human Factor Still Matters

Remote work creates its own safety challenges.

A driver can become distracted because of too much information, but a remote operator may experience the opposite problem: too little activity.

Remote operators must also be trained to recognize cognitive overload and underload during long monitoring sessions.

SAE recommends designing workstations and workflows that account for both cognitive overload and boredom.

Operators should also be able to recognize when their performance is declining and request a break without being penalized.

Depending on the company’s structure, remote operators may also communicate with passengers, other road users, or emergency responders.

The new recommendations give companies developing robotaxi remote operators a framework for training and managing the people who remain behind the scenes of autonomous driving.

Toyota stayed committed to hybrids while rivals pushed harder toward EVs. Now, growing demand suggests the automaker may have made the right call.

Toyota spent years being criticized for moving too slowly on electric vehicles.

Today, its hybrid strategy looks much more convincing.

While several automakers are scaling back EV plans, Toyota continued investing heavily in hybrids. The approach gives buyers better fuel economy without requiring them to change how they refuel their cars.

Buyers Are Choosing Hybrids

The U.S. market has not adopted EVs evenly.

Charging access, electricity costs, driving habits, and home ownership all influence whether a fully electric vehicle makes sense.

Toyota has continued expanding its hybrid lineup as EV adoption remains uneven across the United States.

According to the source material, hybrids, EVs, and plug-in hybrids accounted for around 22% of U.S. light-duty vehicle sales in 2025.

Toyota’s own results are even stronger.

The company reported 1.18 million electrified vehicle sales in the U.S. during 2025, representing 47% of its total sales.

Toyota’s Battery Strategy

Toyota’s argument has also focused on battery resources.

The company has promoted a 1:6:90 concept, suggesting that the battery materials used for one long-range EV could instead support several plug-in hybrids or a much larger number of conventional hybrids.

Toyota believes smaller batteries spread across more vehicles can accelerate reductions in fuel consumption and emissions.

The idea is to electrify more vehicles without relying exclusively on large battery packs.

Toyota has applied that strategy to some of its most important models.

The Camry is now hybrid-only, while the Corolla Hybrid can deliver up to 50 mpg combined.

Hybrids Offer Familiarity Without Giving Up Efficiency

For many buyers, the appeal is straightforward.

A conventional hybrid can reduce fuel consumption while preserving the familiar experience of stopping at a gas station.

Toyota’s hybrid lineup now covers everything from the Corolla to larger SUVs and trucks.

Toyota is also expanding hybrid technology into larger vehicles.

On models such as the Tundra and Land Cruiser, electric motors can provide additional low-end torque for towing and off-road use without requiring the massive battery needed by a large EV.

Toyota has continued investing in U.S. hybrid production as well, including a $912 million manufacturing investment announced in late 2025.

The EV transition is far from over, but Toyota’s strategy is increasingly difficult to dismiss. For buyers who want lower fuel consumption without charging-related compromises, Toyota hybrids have become one of the most practical bridges between gasoline power and full electrification.

Mazda is partnering with AAA and HAAS Alert to send real-time alerts to approaching drivers when a Mazda vehicle is stopped on the roadside and receiving assistance.

Mazda is expanding its safety technology beyond the vehicle itself.

The automaker has partnered with AAA and HAAS Alert to provide digital alerts when a Mazda customer is stopped on the roadside and has requested assistance.

Alerts Can Warn Drivers Ahead

When a Mazda owner requests roadside assistance through the MyMazda app or by phone, an AAA-affiliated service provider is sent to the location.

At the same time, drivers in supported areas can receive Slow Down, Move Over alerts through connected vehicles and compatible navigation apps.

Mazda is extending roadside safety with digital alerts for approaching drivers.

The goal is to give approaching motorists additional time to react to a stopped vehicle and reduce the risk of a secondary crash.

Safety Continues After a Breakdown

Mazda says some of the most dangerous moments can happen after an initial incident, when a disabled vehicle is stopped on the shoulder.

HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud Protect service is designed to provide warnings through vehicle dashboards and mobile applications.

HAAS Alert can warn approaching motorists about a disabled vehicle ahead.

The system therefore adds another layer of protection for Mazda drivers, passengers, roadside technicians, and other motorists.

AAA is already working with HAAS Alert to promote roadside safety and encourage drivers to slow down and move over when approaching service vehicles or stopped cars.

A Broader Approach to Vehicle Safety

The partnership reflects Mazda’s broader safety philosophy, which focuses on identifying real-world risks before they result in injuries.

The partnership extends Mazda’s safety focus beyond collision avoidance and occupant protection.

Instead of limiting safety technology to what happens inside the vehicle, Mazda is now addressing the moments when occupants are outside the vehicle and exposed to passing traffic.

By combining Mazda roadside safety, AAA roadside assistance, and HAAS Alert’s connected warning technology, the companies hope to reduce secondary crashes and make roadside events safer.