Seite - (000179) - in Autonomes Fahren - Technische, rechtliche und gesellschaftliche Aspekte

1678.4 National and international legislative and political developments Auto mobilindustrie, VDA), representatives of automotive manufacturers, the Ministry of Transport, the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), the Federal Motor Transport Agency (KBA), the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Economy and Energy, representa- tives of science and research (e.g. Fraunhofer Institute, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Universities) and associations (such as the Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (Verband der internationalen Kraftfahrzeughersteller, VDIK), the German Insurance Association (Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft, GDV), the German Automobile Club (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobilclub, ADAC), and the Association of the Technical Control Boards (Verband der TÜVs)). Three working groups have been established and meet four times a year. The working groups are concerned with legal questions, issues tied to drivers and vehicles including type approval, and research. The focus on type approval – the procedure whereby an EU Member State certifies that a type of vehicle, system, component or separate technical unit satisfies the relevant admin- istrative provisions and technical requirements [23] – in the second working group on driver and vehicle shows that the round table aims at dealing with many issues at a techni- cal and rather low regulatory level (compared to more general legal questions that would require changes in regulatory law or in the road traffic act). Many aspects of automation do not touch upon regulated aspects and would be generally allowed since they are not defined under the UNECE system. Higher level legal aspects would be in the realm of the Ministry of Justice but are currently not dealt with. The topics discussed at the round table address highly automatized vehicles but tend not to address fully automated driving technologies. The round table talks are to some degree strategic in that they aim at putting or keeping the topic on the policy agenda. It is not so much about visions but about attempts to show progress in practice. However, the whole process is neither very transparent, nor very visible – meeting discussions are not documented for the general public and societal stakeholders are not widely included. There is also little exchange with European platforms on autonomous driving. Different views regarding the importance of amending the Vienna Convention were expressed in Germany. The amendment was welcomed by Thomas Weber, head of group research at Daimler and head of development at Mercedes-Benz who was quoted as saying: “Today I am only allowed to take my hands off the wheel to a limited extent. Thankfully the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic has been changed” [40]. Other German experts did not see the convention as so much of a hindrance in relation at least in regard to highly, but not fully-automated vehicles. By definition, in highly automated vehicles, a driver would always be expected to be present and able to take over control and monitor traffic as expected by current legislation. These experts considered amendments to public regulatory law, which have not yet occurred, to be more important [25], [43]. In a personal interview, Dr. Christoph Hecht from the German Automotive Club, ADAC, representing the consumer perspective explained that a customer has no incentive to buy a highly automated vehicle unless they are allowed to make use of it.