Act for experiments with driverless autonomous cars goes to the House of Representatives

The so-called Experimentation Act for self-driving cars was sent to the House of Representatives on Friday. The bill should make it possible to carry out tests with autonomous vehicles without the need for a driver to be present in the car.

If the proposal is adopted, the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management can issue a permit for such experiments, the government said. Conducting tests in which a driver is present has been possible since 2015. The law changes this, so that the driver no longer has to be present in the car, but must still be able to control remotely. In February, EU member states agreed that from now on car manufacturers would only need one exemption to be allowed to experiment anywhere on public roads.

The permit to be issued will determine, among other things, which roads, under which weather conditions and under which safety measures the experiment will be carried out. It must also be clear for investigation and enforcement who the driver is and where he is. According to the explanatory memorandum, the law is necessary because ‘self-driving cars can contribute to safety, accessibility and sustainability’. To achieve that, manufacturers must be able to experiment enough, the document said.

From 2019, cars from European automakers must be able to communicate with each other, for example about crowds or slippery roads.

Photo via Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management