A method for operating an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising: controlling the autonomous vehicle in operation using a primary control system coupled to a first set of vehicle sensors (101, 103, 105) that monitor an environment outside the autonomous vehicle; determining, from a first sensor input from the first set of vehicle sensors, a state of the environment; determining, based on the state of the environment, trajectory data representing a planned future trajectory of the autonomous vehicle, the planned future trajectory comprising one or more future locations for the autonomous vehicle and for controlling a motion of the autonomous vehicle; operating an auxiliary control unit (130, 132, 134; 230, 232), coupled to a second set of vehicle sensors (131, 133, 135), different from the first set of vehicle sensors, that monitor the environment outside the autonomous vehicle, to detect a predefined condition or a predefined event; receiving, by the auxiliary control unit (130, 132, 134; 230, 232), the trajectory data representing the planned future trajectory of the autonomous vehicle from the primary control system; determining, by the auxiliary control unit (130, 132, 134; 230, 232), a trajectory verification by operating independently from the primary control system to process the trajectory data received from the primary control system relative to a second sensor input from the second set of vehicle sensors (131, 133, 135); generating, using the auxiliary control unit (130, 132, 134; 230, 232), a vehicle response output (137; 237) based on the detected predefined condition or the predefined event, the second sensor input from the second set of vehicle sensors, and the trajectory data, wherein the vehicle response output is associated with the trajectory verification; and communicating, using the auxiliary control unit (130, 132, 134; 230, 232), the vehicle response output (137; 237) to the primary control system. controlling the autonomous vehicle in operation using a primary control system coupled to a first set of vehicle sensors (101, 103, 105) that monitor an environment outside the autonomous vehicle; determining, from a first sensor input from the first set of vehicle sensors, a state of the environment; determining, based on the state of the environment, trajectory data representing a planned future trajectory of the autonomous vehicle, the planned future trajectory comprising one or more future locations for the autonomous vehicle and for controlling a motion of the autonomous vehicle; operating an auxiliary control unit (130, 132, 134; 230, 232), coupled to a second set of vehicle sensors (131, 133, 135), different from the first set of vehicle sensors, that monitor the environment outside the autonomous vehicle, to detect a predefined condition or a predefined event; receiving, by the auxiliary control unit (130, 132, 134; 230, 232), the trajectory data representing the planned future trajectory of the autonomous vehicle from the primary control system; determining, by the auxiliary control unit (130, 132, 134; 230, 232), a trajectory verification by operating independently from the primary control system to process the trajectory data received from the primary control system relative to a second sensor input from the second set of vehicle sensors (131, 133, 135); generating, using the auxiliary control unit (130, 132, 134; 230, 232), a vehicle response output (137; 237) based on the detected predefined condition or the predefined event, the second sensor input from the second set of vehicle sensors, and the trajectory data, wherein the vehicle response output is associated with the trajectory verification; and communicating, using the auxiliary control unit (130, 132, 134; 230, 232), the vehicle response output (137; 237) to the primary control system.