The German transport ministry has proposed legislation requiring any vehicle featuring self-driving technology to be fitted with a “black box” data recorder, which will track whether a driver takes control of the vehicle upon being ordered to do so, in the event of an accident. A new law would also require all cars on Germany’s roads to have at least one person behind the wheel who can take over if necessary. The legislation is now up for review by other ministries, and if approved, will then be voted on.
The German transport ministry has proposed legislation requiring any vehicle featuring self-driving technology to be fitted with a “black box” data recorder, which will track whether a driver takes control of the vehicle upon being ordered to do so, in the event of an accident. Furthermore, the law would make it mandatory for the driver to remain behind the wheel at all times (preventing drivers from lying down on the back seat), but would not make it mandatory for drivers to concentrate on the road while self-driving technology was being used. The legislation is now up for review by other ministries, and if approved, will then be voted on.