Different European countries are advancing in the development of their autonomous driving laws. Slovakia has become the latest country to announce regulation of this important technology on its territory, a design that is very different from other countries. Among the surprises, the autonomous car will be able to slide down the pavement.
The European Union has legalized autonomous driving in the Old Continent, although now it is the member states that have to develop regulations. Germany has been the first to have a specific regulation, France already has a draft and the UK is also working on a standard that aims to achieve a difficult goal. The last country to join was Slovakia.
And as expected, the design features interesting details that will surprise more than one. In fact, they indicated that it would be “one of the winners”, with a more permissive approach to autonomous car. The Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic has prepared the bill, but before putting it to a vote, a series of amendments have been made which must be discussed in Parliament before approval, relating to vehicles and delivery vehicles entering the scene. very difficult component, namely the term «conductor»as described from «Autoviny».
Autonomous cars will be legal in Slovakia in 2023
Future Slovak regulations, which may take effect on December 1, consider that autonomous cars can drive on sidewalks, although they will not be conventional cars. Regulations point directly to automated delivery vehicles, behaves like a pedestrian and with a maximum speed of 6 km/h. The speed can reach 20 km/h on the road shared with bicycles and up to 45 km/h on the highway.
Slovak legislators have also given new meaning to the concept of the driver. A term that, in autonomous driving regulations, is more than prickly, because they don’t complete approvals the role of the figure behind this wheel. The truth is that for Slovaks, a driver is “a person who drives a vehicle or a person who supervises a vehicle that uses an automatic steering system to drive”.
A new definition that expands the driver’s role. The new text makes no explicit reference to driver’s responsibility in accident caused by autonomous cars, although the regulations add a special tagline that it is who oversees the operation of the system. It should be borne in mind that some manufacturers have announced that They will assume their responsibility in case of system malfunction causing an accident.. In addition, countries like the UK have also included a clause that would hold brands directly responsible, protecting drivers.
“Entrepreneur. Internet fanatic. Certified zombie scholar. Friendly troublemaker. Bacon expert.”
