The autonomous car is already in operation. Not in Spain, it is true, but in countries like the United States or China, places where great advances have been made to implement key technology for the future of the automotive industry. In our country, however, we are in a ‘stopped’ situation due to the current Traffic Law.
Autonomous cars are no longer a thing of the future. There are large models developed by different manufacturers that already make automated driving a reality, even in very specific scenarios and under the supervision of the driver.
Tesla’s Autopilot system is one of the best known, to which are added models developed by Honda, BMW and Mercedes, among other manufacturers that already use it. But, what does the law in Spain say about these cars? Not much really.
Given this, what we see is that the current regulations only contemplate grade 2 autonomous circulation , that in which vehicles have a driving assistant that controls lateral and longitudinal displacements, but not much else.
The law says no…for now
In this, what we see is that the Traffic Law for our roads in Spain is that it does not allow models with level 3 or higher to circulate . As a consequence, 62% of the cars sold in our country are limited to offering a level 2 autonomy. This legislative stopper has led to the creation of the so-called Level 2+, which is basically a 2 with some level 3 systems that They are not legally overreached.
It is there where, in the third degree, although the car still requires the intervention of a person, it is capable of responding to an unforeseen event on the road.
At level 4, known as highly automated, the car has the ability to drive and make decisions without the intervention of the driver, while still maintaining the appearance of a traditional car. In Europe, Germany is undoubtedly the most advanced country, since last May the Lower House approved a bill on autonomous driving that gave legal protection to level 4 autonomous vehicles, the fourth of the 5 levels planned. The highest level, 5, would be autonomous in any circumstance.
Spain has a good base to move forward
In the same way, and as something to consider, is that most of the vehicle brands that are currently sold in Spain (and in much of the rest of Europe, of course) already have the necessary technology to manufacture vehicles completely self-employed (level 5).
A technology that is far ahead of Traffic Law, not only in Spain but throughout Europe. In this regard, it should be noted that there are reports such as the one from ANFAC, the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers, which says that Spain has a good basis for progress and has outstanding 5G technology and good infrastructure .
The technology will make it possible to commercialize vehicles that allow autonomous circulation and that make it easier for drivers to activate automated driving, not without limitations, but with good functions.
