Draft law
Black box for autonomous vehicles
According to a new draft law, people should remain fundamentally responsible, even if they allow their autonomous cars to take the wheel. A black box should help to clarify the question of fault in the event of an accident.
The Federal Cabinet has presented a draft law to regulate autonomous driving on German roads. It stipulates that the driver may relinquish control of the vehicle for a certain period of time and in certain situations, but is generally responsible. Completely autonomous driving, in which the driver is only a passenger, is therefore ruled out for the time being. The driver must be able to deactivate or override the system at any time. According to Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt, "if the highly or fully automated system prompts them to do so or if the conditions for the intended use of the highly or fully automated driving functions no longer exist, for example in the event of a burst tire."
However, this also makes it clear that the car can take over the driving task completely, at least temporarily. "We are making it possible for the driver to take their hands off the wheel during highly automated driving, for example to surf the internet or check emails," emphasizes Dobrindt. In order to be able to clarify who was in control and liable in the event of an accident, it is planned that the vehicles will be equipped with a black box that records all important data. The aim is also to prevent drivers from making blanket claims that the technology has failed.
"We are putting drivers and computers on an equal legal footing," says Dobrindt, who has also responded to criticism from consumer advocates with the new draft law. In an earlier draft, they had criticized that the minister was primarily taking responsibility away from the manufacturers. The original intention was that the driver would still have to keep an eye on the traffic situation and road signs even when using the automated system. "Some of the criticism from the Federation of German Consumer Organizations has been heard," says Klaus Müller, Chairman of the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv). "The manufacturer is now responsible for compliance with road traffic regulations. For example, they must ensure that the autopilot recognizes speed limits."
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