The United Nations has just authorized level 3 autonomous driving above 60 km/h. Another novelty: cars will now be able to overtake on their own, without human intervention.
Semi-autonomous driving is increasingly common in new vehicles. There are different levels and most recent cars are compatible with level 2 autonomous driving, thanks to adaptive cruise control which brakes and accelerates on its own, as well as through the staying in the lane.
For the moment, only Mercedes offers level 3 autonomous driving in Germany. This allows the driver to no longer monitor the road and to delegate his responsibility to the car and therefore to the manufacturer in the event of an accident. Level 3 autonomous driving – authorized in France from the start of the school year – is only accessible on certain roads (fast lanes and motorways), at a maximum speed of 60 km/h.
At 130 km/h without hands thanks to level 3
This will change in the coming months, since the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations has just adopted new regulations for level 3 autonomous driving. Thus, the speed limit will increase from 60 to 130 km/h. Enough to no longer confine only level 3 autonomous driving to motorway and peri-urban traffic jams.
Today, it is possible to use level 2 autonomous driving at a speed of 130 km/h (even more in Germany on unlimited motorway sections). But it is necessary to stay focused on the roadwith hands on the wheel or eyes on the road (as at Cadillac) depending on the technology used by the car to ensure that the driver is in control.
Level 3 autonomous driving will therefore make it possible to no longer have your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road, up to a speed of 130 km/h. But it will be necessary to be on a road prohibited to pedestrians and cyclists, with a central separator. In France, this is the case for roads with limited access (2 x 2 lanes) and motorways.
But beware, level 3 of autonomous driving requires the driver to remain in the driver’s seat all the same and awake and not distracted, since the car can ask him to take over control at any time.
The car can overtake on its own
The other great novelty is the possibility for the car to overtake on its own. Currently, European regulations require overtaking to be requested by the driver, even if the car can then perform the maneuver itself.
In the United States, we were able to test the similar functionality at Tesla which has nothing to do with that available in Europe. In the land of Uncle Sam, the car makes the decision to overtake on its own then performs the maneuver without asking the driver for confirmation. This will therefore become possible in Europe with the new United Nations regulations.
Moreover, to be able to drive at 130 km/h in level 3 autonomous driving, the new regulations require the car to have activated the automatic overtaking functionality. Otherwise the speed will be limited to 60 km/h.
From January 1, 2023
This new regulation is not mandatory since it is a regulatory framework and it is then up to each country to ratify it. This is already planned for France and many other European countries, with entry into force on January 1, 2023.
It is then possible that some manufacturers will update their cars to offer level 3 autonomous driving above 60 km/h. We think of Mercedes with its EQS and its S-Class but also of Tesla with its system technically capable of reaching level 3 as we can see in the United States with the beta of the FSD (Full Self Driving).
It should also be remembered that level 3 driving restricted to 60 km/h is not yet possible in France but will be.
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