The recently launched Third Mobility Package of the European Commssion includes a communication on connected on automated mobility.
The communication sets out the EC’s agenda for connected and automated mobility, which is essentially about building an apt legal framework with due regard for ethics and society and providing financial support to move this agenda forward. While it acknowledges the importance of automation to address safety and to keep the EU’s automotive industry competitive, it stresses the needs for automated vehicles to deliver new, cost-effective services that are integrated into the transport system and support social inclusion. Other areas addressed that are relevant to transport/road authorities include the link with traffic management, data sharing and the broader infrastructure aspects (road markings, traffic signs, etc).
The communication proposes many actions to be taken including:
- The development of guidelines to ensure a harmonised approach for national ad-hoc vehicle safety assessments of automated vehicles
- Kicking off a process of building a new approach for vehicle safety certification for automated vehicles
- Intensifying coordination with Member States on traffic rules to ensure they are fit for automated vehicles
- Regulation of data recorders for automated vehicles to clarify who was ‘driving’ in case of an incident
- Regulation of platooning under the revision of the General safety Regulation for motor vehicles
- Consider the need for specifications, under the ITS Directive, for access to in-vehicle data by public authorities to support the traffic management task.
For further information, download the 2-page summary here or the full communication here.
