Skip to main content

Germany to require 'black box' in autonomous cars

Germany plans new legislation to require manufacturers of cars equipped with an autopilot function to install a black box to help determine responsibility in the event of an accident, according to Reuters. The fatal crash of a Tesla Motors Inc Model S car in its Autopilot mode has increased the pressure on industry executives and regulators to ensure that automated driving technology can be deployed safely. Under the proposal from Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt, drivers will not have to pay at
July 19, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Germany plans new legislation to require manufacturers of cars equipped with an autopilot function to install a black box to help determine responsibility in the event of an accident, according to Reuters.

The fatal crash of a 597 Tesla Motors Inc Model S car in its Autopilot mode has increased the pressure on industry executives and regulators to ensure that automated driving technology can be deployed safely.

Under the proposal from Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt, drivers will not have to pay attention to traffic or concentrate on steering, but must remain seated at the wheel so they can intervene in the event of an emergency.

Manufacturers will also be required to install a black box that records when the autopilot system was active, when the driver drove and when the system requested that the driver take over, according to the proposals.

The draft is due to be sent to other ministries for approval this summer, a transport ministry spokesman said.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Driver monitoring systems ‘will use inward-looking camera-based technology’
    November 9, 2015
    New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Strategies for Driver Monitoring Systems in Europe, indicates that, as the loss of driver attention due to fatigue or drowsiness is a common cause of road accidents worldwide, there is a clear need for driver monitoring systems (DMSs) globally. DMSs can analyse driver behaviour or detect patterns tending towards micro-sleep to issue appropriate warnings and help revive the driver’s focus. Several original equipment manufacturers (O
  • IRD complements WIM with tyre under-inflation detection
    May 8, 2015
    To complement its existing WIM offering, IRD has introduced a system to detect under-inflated and flat tyres at highway speeds. Tyre inflation pressure has both safety and economic impacts for road users and none more so than with commercial vehicles. An underinflated tyre has decreased directional control, increased risk of catastrophic failure, and negatively impacts tyre life and fuel economy. In June 2014 the USDOT published Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2012 in which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
  • US enforcement regulation to deliver clearer guidelines?
    February 2, 2012
    Jim Tuton of American Traffic Solutions looks at the evolution of automated enforcement in North America "Technological regulation will become more sophisticated at the federal level, giving states clearer guidelines" Jim Tuton In just 20 years, photo enforcement in North America has grown from a single speed camera in a small town in Arizona to thousands of photo traffic enforcement cameras which are now operating in 350 communities spread across 27 states and three Canadian provinces. Most of these p
  • Need for best practice enforcement standards
    February 3, 2012
    Leading systems suppliers discuss how recent events in Italy have affected the automated enforcement sector and how the situation might be remediated