Overview of Autonomous Driving in Germany
The future is here and Germany is all there for it! After many years of trials, autonomous driving seems to be ready to be implemented. The commercial market for such cars is ripe for the taking and Germany is taking notes.
People might soon be able to purchase a self-driving car which would allow them to do other things on their commute such as online shopping, talking to their friends, or even gambling at online casinos in Germany, the possibilities are truly endless.
The Basics of Autonomous Driving
Before we get into the discussion of autonomous driving and its corresponding legislation and implementation in Germany, let’s talk about the basic qualities of this new mode of transportation.
First, there are different levels to automation.
Conditional automation means that the car is capable of sensing the environment and performing tasks but that human activity is still required; high automation entails the car being able to perform all driving tasks under specific circumstances, so human interaction is possible and sometimes necessary; full automation means that no human action is ever necessary.
German Legislation
Much like other countries such as the United States, Germany, in anticipation of automated cars entering the market, has drafted laws concerning the manufacturing and usage of such cars.
The first piece of legislation dates back to 2017 in the Act on Automated Driving (Eighth Act amending the Road Traffic Act). The Act has since been updated and it allows the commercial use of automated cars if certain conditions are met, and while a driver is still necessary, he or she does not need to perform any driving tasks.
Germany promises to be the first country in the world to fully implement automated driving and it hopes that this can soon become reality.
The country hopes that this can decrease the number of car incidents due to human error which is thought to comprise 80% of all incidents. Additionally, Germany claims that self-driving cars could also decrease carbon emissions and thus improve air quality and the overall wellbeing of nature and humans.
In addition to allowing citizens to purchase self-driving cars, Germany also hopes that this technology can benefit public transportation, as well as the transportation of goods.
Possible scenarios mentioned in the Act thus include shuttle services from point A to point B; people movers (buses operating on an established route); hub2hub services (e.g. between two distribution centres); demand-driven offers in off-peak hours; transport of persons and/or goods on the first or last mile; dual mode vehicles such as in automated valet parking (AVP).
Possible Launch Date
The Act of 2021 mentions the year 2022 as the possible date for implementation of self-driving vehicles to the German commercial market, but since that year has already passed, when are we expected to see these cars in Germany?
As one of the world leaders of car manufacturing, it makes sense for Germany to be excited about the prospect of another type of car entering the market, but let’s remember the fact that the country has already placed very strict regulations regarding automated technology which must be met before a car is approved to be used by average citizens.
While self-driving vehicles are not a new idea and there have been many trials, some of which even include real-life trials in cities such as San Francisco, there might still be a way to go when it comes to these cars entering the commercial market.
For instance, the California DMV recently suspended the license of Cruise to operate self-driving cars in the state. The decision was made after an AV Cruise ran over a pedestrian (the pedestrian survived the incident). In another Cruise incident, the car blocked the path of an ambulance, although the company rejects the notion that it was in the wrong.
There are other examples of unfortunate incidents involving automated vehicles which might push the launch date further in time so as to ensure the safety of the car passengers and the pedestrians.
This, of course, doesn’t mean that all self-driving cars are intrinsically dangerous or that we would never get to use them in our lifetime, but we will have to be patient and remember that safety is the top priority.
So far, Germany has only given a permit to one company, Mercedes-Benz, which allows them to manufacture cars with level 3 automation (conditional automation) which is a far cry from the full capabilities of self-driving cars, or those with level 5 of automation.
This is the first such license given to a car manufacturer in the world but it comes with many conditions. For example, a driver is still necessary to perform tasks since this is a level 3 automated car, and the Mercedes is only allowed to drive on highway-like roads with 60 km/h speed limit.
While this is a small first step, it’s a step nonetheless and we hope that we can soon update you with new developments in the saga of automated driving in Germany.