Even the safety report of Apple's self-driving car is super secret

Apple's autonomous car program is still so secret.

Compare the seven-page safety report that Apple submitted this week to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with the 43-page color explosion of Waymo, the car's self-commissioning parent company Alphabet.

Both speak of the safety practices and guiding principles of each company when it comes to autonomous vehicles, but only one (guess which) keeps it short and vague. Other companies such as Ford, GM's Cruise and Nuro also share additional details and include graphics, vehicle images and images of people – wait for them -.

Some companies even have links to websites on which security information is held openly. You will not find anything official on an Apple site regarding autonomous cars, unless January's list of standalone computer systems engineering offers is taken into account.

As The Verge explained, it is a voluntary submission to the federal regulator, but that only reinforces our appetite for more information. After hearing about the reworking of Apple's job duties, high disengagement rates (number of times humans have to take charge of the computer) and some trade secrets regarding the Titan project (the Apple Car Project) , allegedly stolen for a Chinese autonomous vehicle company, it is difficult to understand where Apple stands with autonomous cars.

But they seem to be pushing and at least move up a gear.

To return to the safety report, the most striking is the lack of images from Apple. According to its recent California Disengagement Report, we know the company is testing Lexus RX 450h modified cars, but we do not see what these vehicles look like or what kind of equipment they use for sensors, etc. Meanwhile, Waymo's home page places its stand-alone Chrysler Pacifica minivan at the center of its concerns.

Apple explains its real road tests and simulation, its operator system and its daily security meetings. In addition, we now know that there are two people in all his cars during testing. Cell phone use is only allowed in parked cars. We also get more details on his training program. But that's about all.

In the introduction, Apple talks about "automated systems" in general and how they see autonomous vehicles serving humans. But you should never go that far to share any commercial car service project.

The report states: "We are investing heavily in the study of machine learning and automation, and we are excited about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation."

Apple with tight lips shares nothing more than necessary.