Germany gives green light to driverless vehicles on the roads from 2022

May 25, 2021

Self-driving or autonomous vehicles are the next big thing in the automotive world. While companies are still working to improve and eliminate any bit of error, Germany has passed a bill that will allow driverless vehicles on public roads by 2022.

Germany to allow driverless vehicles from 2022

Testing of autonomous vehicles is already available in Germany. In addition, the lower house of parliament has approved the bill for driverless vehicles, which opens the door for self-driving vehicles to roam through German roads.

Requirements

The law focuses on vehicles with Level 4 automation. It means a computer has full control of the vehicle and requires no human driver to control or monitor it. However, these self-driving cars may be limited to specific geographic regions only.

According to Germany’s Transportation Ministry, the bill was written to be as flexible as possible, with the new regulations not requiring a human driver to be on standby. “Individual permits, exceptions, and requirements — such as the presence of a safety assurance driver who is always ready to intervene — would not be necessary,” the ministry said in a statement.

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Permitted vehicles

Per the German government, the bill will allow the use of driverless shuttle buses and automated public transit buses that would run on predetermined routes. Companies that choose to run self-driving automobiles commercially will have to follow a host of other laws. This includes carrying liability insurance and having the power to remotely halt autonomous operations.

Driverless vehicles in Germany: Final words

With this “self-driving” feature, companies are attempting to change the way we drive. However, the recent Tesla car crash in the United States, in which two people died while using the self-driving feature, has reignited controversy about the capability and safety of today’s self-driving technology. So, I believe that before authorizing such technology, governments and companies should be absolutely sure of its safety first.