Extension to safety protocols for autonomous vehicle operation

Various systems and methods for controlling a vehicle using driving policies are described herein. A system for controlling a vehicle using driving policies includes a memory device; and a processor subsystem to access instructions on the memory device that cause the processor subsystem to: operate a host vehicle using a driving policy from a policy repository, the host vehicle operating in a lane on a first road, the driving policy governed by a safety model; detect a second vehicle, the second vehicle operating in a second lane; determine whether the second vehicle is an oncoming vehicle or an intersecting vehicle, the oncoming vehicle operating on the first road with the first and second lanes in adjacent bidirectional arrangement, and the intersecting vehicle operating on a second road that intersects the first road; and initiate a vehicle maneuver of the host vehicle to reduce or avoid a collision with the second vehicle, based on the safety model, the vehicle maneuver performed based on whether the second vehicle is an oncoming vehicle or an intersecting vehicle.