Autonomous Driving Regulations Status and Trends
UN Regulations, Overview of Laws and Regulations in Major Countries and Recent Trends
Summary
This report summarizes information on the laws and regulations for Level 3 and above autonomous driving in major countries and regions as of January 2023. Regulations for driver assistance systems below Level 2 are not addressed.
As of January 2023, UN regulations (UN-R157-01 series), in Japan and the EU, allow for the approval of Level 3 autonomous driving devices with a maximum speed limit of 130 km/h on highways and the ability to change vehicle lanes.
Future work on developing regulations will focus on regulations for Level 4 and 5 unmanned (driverless) vehicles.
The U.S. and China have not adopted UN-R157, and each is working on its own legislation.
Autonomous driving is classified into three levels: Level 3 (conditional driving automation), Level 4 (high driving automation; full automation under specific conditions), and Level 5 (full driving automation).
The definition of autonomous driving levels is based on the American Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) definitions of Level 0 to Level 5, which is used as the basis for the classification. Note that the expression "Level 2.5" can also be found for hands-off functions that are within the scope of Level 2 (partial driving automation) but closer to Level 3 (conditional driving automation).
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Autonomous driving level definitions (SAEJ3016) (Source: SAE J3016 automated-driving graphic) |
Autonomous driving level definitions (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) (Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism press release; November 11, 2020) |
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