Amendment on autonomous vehicles: a step towards wider use of autonomous technologies on our roads

30/10/2024 |Articles are machine translated

The main benefits of automated vehicles and, in the future, fully automated vehicles are increased safety and traffic flow. | Photo: FreeStock

The Ministry of Transport, in cooperation with the Association of the Automotive Industry and the Association of Automobile Importers, has prepared an amendment to the laws that will allow maximum use of the current technical capabilities of cars sold in the Czech Republic and the EU. The amendment to the laws will be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies for discussion in November.

 

“With the upcoming innovation, we want to enable the operation of approved automated vehicles on the territory of the Czech Republic, whose technologies will significantly increase driver comfort and safety on our roads,” said Transport Minister Martin Kupka.

 

An automated vehicle is one that, thanks to advanced systems and functions, can drive autonomously under specified conditions, i.e. without driver intervention. Typical situations for this autonomous mode are, for example, low-speed traffic in traffic jams or motorway traffic. When the autonomous mode is activated, the vehicle does not require the driver’s attention, i.e. it operates according to the concept of ‘feet off the pedals, hands in the lap, eyes off the road, brain at ease’. This mode represents a higher degree of autonomy than partial automation, which is already offered by many vehicles on the Czech market, but still requires the driver to concentrate fully on driving.

 

“The proposal not only brings state-of-the-art technologies in the field of autonomous mobility to the Czech roads, but at the same time further develops the competitiveness of Czech car industry companies that develop and produce these technologies,” says Zdeněk Petzl, Executive Director of the Automotive Industry Association.

 

The technologies for which a legislative framework is now being developed are based on driving assistants that are already familiar to drivers, such as adaptive cruise control or lane departure warning. While these assistants only support the driver and are not responsible for driving, automated driving systems fully assume this responsibility. For drivers, this means that they will be able to temporarily hand over control to the vehicle while driving on selected sections, especially on motorways, and not have to concentrate on driving themselves during this time.

 

“The Czech Republic will make it possible to use the systems already available for new vehicles in a similar way as in Germany, for example. We very much welcome the fact that the Ministry of Transport has given such significant legislative support to new technological developments,” adds Josef Pokorný, Secretary of the Association of Car Importers.

 

The vehicle monitors the conditions for taking over the wheel itself and visually informs the driver on the display that it is ready to take over. The driver then decides whether to hand over control to the vehicle, for example by pressing a button on the steering wheel, or to continue driving himself. If he or she decides not to hand over control, the active safety and assistance systems with which the vehicle is equipped, such as blind spot monitoring, will remain in operation.

 

“The main benefits of automated vehicles and, prospectively, fully automated vehicles are an increase in traffic safety and its fluidity,” adds Tereza Čížková from the Department of Space Activities and New Technologies of the Ministry of Transport.

 

This is a natural technological evolution based on strict and safe international regulations. The vehicles covered by this legislation are approved according to the EU-wide type-approval regulations. The current amendment mainly addresses the issue of the driver’s responsibilities and obligations related to driving in autonomous mode.

 

“The proposal was preceded by a detailed discussion with representatives of the car industry, insurance companies and the Police of the Czech Republic,” emphasises Stanislav Dvořák, Director of the Department of Driver Agencies of the Ministry of Transport.

 

The legislative amendment to Act No. 361/2000 Coll., on Road Traffic and Act No. 56/2001 Coll., on Conditions of Vehicle Operation on Roads specifically includes:

  • Extension of the definition of ‘driver’ to include a person who hands over and supervises the driving of a vehicle, even if he or she is not in direct control of the vehicle;
  • the resignation of some of the driver’s obligations relating to the control of the vehicle and compliance with the rules of the road when driving autonomously;
  • the transfer of responsibility from the driver to the vehicle within the limits of the type-approval regulations;
  • the new responsibility of the driver to take over the control of the vehicle;
  • imposing an obligation on the driver to give the control authorities access to the vehicle in order to obtain data from the system;
  • the extension of the register of road vehicles to include an indication of whether the registered vehicle has been approved as an automated vehicle under a directly applicable regulation
Given the importance of this legislation in helping to make our roads safer and more efficient, we are confident of your active support in passing these amendments. It is time to adopt measures that will enable us to keep pace with modern technology and secure the future of the Czech automotive industry.

Contact

Ing. Tomáš Jungwirth
Ing. Tomáš Jungwirth

Communications Manager

jungwirth@autosap.cz
Ing. Marie Nováková
Ing. Marie Nováková

Regulatory Affairs and Data Base Manager

novakova@autosap.cz

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