A step towards wider use of autonomous technologies on our roads

6/11/2024Press releases

The Ministry of Transport, in cooperation with the Association of the Automotive Industry and the Association of Car Importers, prepared an amendment to the law that will fully utilise the potential of the current technical capabilities of cars sold in the Czech Republic and the EU. The amendment to the law is pending consideration in the Chamber of Deputies. The key points of the legislative changes were presented at an expert conference organised by Valeo, a major player in the development of technologies for autonomous vehicles.

A step towards wider use of autonomous technologies on our roads

"With the upcoming innovation we want to enable the operation of approved automated vehicles in 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 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 in stand-by". This mode represents a higher degree of autonomy than partial automation, which is already offered in many vehicles on the Czech market, but still requires the driver to concentrate fully on driving.

"The proposal not only brings the most advanced technologies in the field of autonomous mobility to Czech roads, but also further develops the competitiveness of Czech car industry in the development and production of 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 – adaptive cruise control or lane departure warning. While these assistants only support the driver and are not responsible for the actual driving, automated driving systems take over this responsibility. This means that drivers 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 steering wheel 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 as a human driver. If the driver decides not to hand over the wheel, the active safety and assistance systems fitted to the vehicle, such as blind-spot monitoring, will remain in service.

"The main benefits of automated vehicles and, prospectively, fully automated vehicles are increased traffic safety and smoothness," adds Tereza Čížková from the Department of Space Activities and New Technologies of the Ministry of Transport.

This is natural technological evolution based on strict and safe international regulations. Vehicles covered by this legislation are approved in accordance with EU-wide type-approval regulations. The current amendment mainly regulates driver's liability 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:
§ An extension of the definition of "driver" to include a person who hands over and supervises the vehicle even if the driver does not directly control the vehicle;
§ resignation on some of the driver's duties relating to control of the vehicle and compliance with the rules of the road in autonomous driving;
§ transfer of responsibility from the driver to the vehicle within the limits of approval regulations;
§ a new obligation on the driver to take over driving when requested by the vehicle;
§ imposing an obligation on the driver to make the vehicle accessible to control authorities for obtaining data from the system;
§ extending the Road Vehicles Registry 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 make our roads safer and more efficient, we are confident in active support in passing these amendments. It is time to take measures to keep up with state-of-the-art technologies and ensure the future of the Czech automotive industry.

Photo source: Valeo